History of the Eighth regiment Vermont volunteers. 1861-1865

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BOOK

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HISTORY

OF

The Eighth Regiment

VERMONT VOLUNTEERS.

i86i--i86«y

; J'^J'1 •

BY GEO. N. CARPENTER.

ISSUED BY THE COMMITTEE OF PUBLICATION.

BOSTON:

PRESS OF DELAND & BARTA.
1886.

H533

C3

COPYRIGHT 1886

BY
N.

Illustrations by Forbes 6° Co., Boston.

TO THE PEOPLE

OF HIS NATIVE STATE, THIS MEMORIAL OF

PATRIOTIC SERVICE

IS

DEDICATED
BY THE AUTHOR.

M176S70

COMMITTEE'S PREFACE,

AT several reunions of the Eighth Vermont Regiment of U. S.
Volunteers, the opinion was freely expressed that a regimental
history ought to be published, in order to preserve in a per
manent form the records of its service and achievements. In
pursuance of this idea, committees were appointed at different
times to obtain materials for such a volume and solicit contribu
tions to the work from members of the command. Although
some progress in this direction had been made, no decisive action
was taken until the reunion held in Montpelier in June, 1885.
At that meeting the subject was agitated afresh, and ex-Gov.
Barstow offered a resolution that the undersigned constitute a
committee of publication, with power to prepare and print the
contemplated book.

To make the enterprise immediately practicable, ample
pecuniary aid was pledged, subject to the order of the com
mittee, and the material already in the possession of the regi
mental secretary, Dr. C. M. Ferrin, and a member of the
committee, was placed in their hands to be used as a basis for
the history, and the work was inaugurated by the choice of
George N. Carpenter as historian.

As the result of their labor the committee now offer their
comrades this volume, which, in unpretentious style, tells a
simple story of the organization of the regiment, and its military

COMMITTEE'S PREFACE. V

career in camp, on the march, and in battle ; with many
incidents and relations which have a peculiar interest for the
regiment, or those members of it more immediately concerned.

Believing that such a book as they have prepared should be
strictly a regimental history, and not a criticism on the conduct
of the war, the committee have sought to exclude from its
pages all irrelevant matter, and have avoided reference to the
troops with which they served, and to the general movements
and progress of battles, except when the story could not be
clearly set forth without so doing. Within the prescribed
scope, too, certain limits have been observed, so far as its pages
are concerned. The book deals solely with the creditable
deeds of officers and privates, and, on the ground that nothing
else deserves to be preserved in such a permanent form, con
signs all else to oblivion.

Having been at great pains to verify every important state
ment by the accounts of reliable comrades, who could indorse
it from personal knowledge, and to ransack the memories of
those who participated, for accurate details of battles and
marches, the committee feel justified in pronouncing the history
accurate and reliable in all essential respects. At the same
time it is to be regretted that the book must, of necessity, lack
somewhat in fulness of detail, owing to the lapse of so many
years since the events narrated took place. This feature will
be particularly noticeable in the lists of wounded, and those
taken prisoners, which, though corrected and enlarged up to
the very moment of going to press, are still incomplete.

The committee desired to embellish the pages of the book
with portraits of all the officers who held commissions in the
regiment. They regret, therefore, that some who were invited
to furnish' pictures for this purpose have declined so to do ;
they fear, also, that others may have failed to receive the
notices which were mailed to all whose addresses could be
ascertained, or to their friends in cases where the officers were
not living. It is a pleasure, however, to include in the list of
illustrations the portraits of several officers who, though not
belonging to the Eighth Regiment, were known and greatly

vi COMMITTEE'S PREFACE.

esteemed by its members. The excellent portrait of Gen.
Philip H. Sheridan accompanies the fac-simile of his autograph
letter ; another inset shows the familiar face of Gen. W. H.
Emory, under whose command the regiment accomplished some
of its most valuable service ; the thoughtful, kindly features of
Gen. Godfrey Weitzel also find a place near the warm personal
letter in which he has paid the regiment a sincere, discrim
inating compliment.

The great amount of patient labor involved in the preparation
of this work, the extent of which those who have undertaken it
alone can appreciate, has been cheerfully done, to the end that
the survivors of the regiment, their families, and the public,
might possess a true record of what their patriotic service cost
the Eighth Regiment from the state of Vermont.

STEPHEN THOMAS.
GEORGE N. CARPENTER.
HERBERT E. HILL.
S. E. HOWARD.
BOSTON, May i, 1886.

AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

IN compliance with the wish of comrades and the committee
of publication, the author consented to act as historian of his
regiment. The work, undertaken as a labor of love and con
scientiously performed, has been far more exacting than was
anticipated at the outset, and often full of discouragement.
No means have been neglected to make the story as complete
as possible, and whatever success has been achieved is due to
those who have kindly furnished the facts set forth in these
pages. If anything essential has been omitted, the author begs
to remind readers that no one man can have witnessed all the
movements of a single body of troops, and the full history of
the regiment would contain the personal experience of every
one who belonged to it.

The author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to all
who have aided by contributions and otherwise in the prepara
tion of the work. And especially would he express his
obligations to ex-Gov. Barstow for valuable aid ; to Gen.
Thomas for information which could be furnished only by the
highest officer in command ; to Col. Hill for his description
of the battle of the Opequon, and the thrilling accounts of
the morning and afternoon engagements at Cedar Creek ; to
Capt. Howard for the careful preparation of the statistical
tables, and his account of the battle at Winchester ; to Col.

Vlll AUTHOR'S PREFACE.

Fred. E. Smith for letters, valuable papers, and important
suggestions. He desires to mention particularly Dr. C. M
Ferrin, Capt. John Bisbee, Lieut. James Welch, Lieut. Porter,
Sergt. A. P. Hawley, Sergt. W. E. Hallada^ C. A. Dean, and
Charles E. Hardy, who have aided him in various ways.

He is under obligations to Capt. F. H. Buffum for permis
sion to adapt for the work maps published in the valuable
history of the Fourteenth New Hampshire Regiment, and to
Mr. C. M. Barrows for his able professional services in revising
and editing the manuscript and superintending its publication.

CONTENTS.

PAGE.

INTRODUCTION - i

PART I.

ORGANIZATION 9

CAMP HOLBROOK 17

GOING TO THE FRONT 24

NEW ORLEANS . • 32

PART II.

ALGIERS 40

RACELAND 50

BOUTEE STATION 53

DES ALLEMANDS 55

SHOOTING THE GERMANS 63

BRASHEAR CITY 74

PART III.

BATTLE OF THE COTTON 82

PART IV.

BISLAND 97

ALEXANDRIA 106

PART V.

PORT HUDSON 112

THE FIRST ASSAULT 114

THE SECOND ASSAULT 123

THE SURRENDER 132

INCIDENTS OF THE SIEGE . 134

PART VI.

BAYOU TECHE AGAIN 137

A VETERAN REGIMENT 143

ON A FURLOUGH : 146

GOING NORTH 152

CONTENTS.
PART VII.

To THE SHENANDOAH
THE VALLEY

PART VIII.

BATTLE OF OPEQUON ................. 168

As OTHERS SEE Us .... ............. 172

CAPT. HOWARD'S STORY ................ 175

COL. HILL'S STORY .................. 184

INCIDENTS ..................... 195

PART IX.

FISHER'S HILL .................... 199.

TOM'S BROOK .................... 202

PART X.

BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK ............... 205

THE MORNING FIGHT ................. 214

THE AFTERNOON FIGHT ................ 220-

INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHT ............... 229

PART XL

NEWTOWN ..................... 236

SUMMIT POINT .................... 238

MUSTERED OUT ................... 245

IN RETROSPECT ................... 249

PART XII.

THE EIGHTH VERMONT IN CIVIL LIFE .... ...... 252

SKETCH OF GEN. THOMAS ............... 253

Gov. HOLBROOK .................. .263

MILITARY HISTORY OF COMMISSIONED OFFICERS 265

PROMOTIONS OF ENLISTED MEN 276-

OFFICERS OF THE REGIMENT 281

BATTLES AND SKIRMISHES 281

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND PRIVATES WHO DlED FROM

DISEASE, ETC 283

ORIGINAL ROSTER 286

RECAPITULATION 319

APPENDIX.

DEDICATION OF MONUMENT AT WINCHESTER . . 321

DEDICATION OF MONUMENT AT CEDAR CREEK 331

PORTRAITS AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE.

GEN. STEPHEN THOMAS Frontispiece.

Gov. FREDERICK HOLBROOK 18

CAMP HOLBROOK 20

CARROLTON SIGNAL STATION 42

GROUP OF OFFICERS 52

^FATHER" ISAAC BLAKE 66

GROUP OF OFFICERS ' 84

BATTLE OF THE COTTON 88

BATTLE OF PORT HUDSON 114

CAPT. H. E. FOSTER 116

LIEUT. S. F. SPALDING 126

LIEUT. COL. C. DILLINGHAM 138

Q. M. FRED E. SMITH 140

MAJ. J. L. BARSTOW 150

GROUP OF OFFICERS 152

GEN. G. WEITZEL .' . . 154

MAJ. H. M. POLLARD 164

BATTLE OF OPEQUON 168

CAPT. G. O. FORD 194

LIEUT. COL. H. F. BUTTON 198

GROUP OF OFFICERS 200

GEN. P. H. SHERIDAN 204

BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK 208

GEN. W. H. EMORY 214

DEFENCE OF THE FLAGS 218

SHERIDAN'S AUTOGRAPH LETTER 220

COL. J. B. MEAD 244

GROUP OF OFFICERS 248

COL. H. E. HILL 320

MONUMENT AT WINCHESTER 330

INTRODUCTORY.

To a majority of the loyal people of the Union the armed
revolt of 1 86 1 came as a surprise and a shock. They knew,
indeed, that the slave-holding states were determined to per
petuate and extend their peculiar institution if possible, and
that it was the one paramount issue that controlled political
action at the South. They were not blind to the grave disaf
fection felt at every attempt to limit slavery by legislation ;
but the hot sectional debates on the floor of congress, and the
angry threats of Southern leaders, sounded quite too distant and
vague to shake the popular faith that the mighty nation could
hold each state fast in a compact of perpetual union. Even
when South Carolina had passed an ordinance of secession,
Dec. 20, 1860, and six sister states had followed her bold exam
ple, the opinion prevailed at the North that in some way the
breach would be closed, and the disputes settled or compro
mised.

A few far-seeing men who knew the Southern mind more
intimately took a different view. One of this class was Judge
Stephen Thomas, of Vermont. Being a prominent man in the
state and an active worker in the Democratic party, his sense
of the gravity of the national problem was deep and prophetic.
He had been an honored delegate to all the national Demo
cratic conventions since 1848, and was present at that stormy
session held in Charleston, S. C., April, 1860, which rent the

2 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

party in twain and raised such bitter sectional disputes between
the factions. Often in public debate and private interview had
he tried to convince the Southern politicians that the North did
not seek to trespass on their rights or meadle with any local
issue of the slave states. He had discovered with pain that
their ears were deaf to the appeals of reason and patriotism ;
that the infatuated leaders spoke flippantly of the Union with
its glorious memories ; he had marked the cool indifference
with which they referred to the possibility of dividing the
nation and setting up an independent confederacy on Southern
soil. Knowing, as few of his Northern fellow-citizens did, the
intensity of Southern hate, the hotspur spirit of the leaders, and
the military capacity and resources at their command, he fore
saw with alarm and sorrow that the government of the United
States would soon be called upon to maintain its rights against
a giant armed rebellion.

When, therefore, Governor Fairbanks called an extra session
of the General Assembly, on the twenty-third of April, 1861, it
was with a heavy heart that Judge Thomas went to Montpelier
to meet his colleagues in the House. Fort Sumter had fallen,
a civil war was fairly begun, President Lincoln had called for
volunteers to enter the loyal army, and the legislature of which
he was a member was to consider what response Vermont
should make in this dire emergency.

Judge Thomas was the only Democratic member of the
special committee to which was referred the various bills
for raising, arming, and paying troops for the national de
fence. He was also a member of the Committee on Ways and
Means, which had under consideration an important bill author
izing the governor and treasurer of the state to borrow such
a sum of money as the legislature at this extra session might
vote to appropriate for military purposes. How much money
to appropriate was the first question to be decided, and the
assembly and the people awaited with deep anxiety the recom
mendation of the committee.

After this committee had organized and was ready for busi
ness, a motion was made to report a bill appropriating half a

THE EXTRA SESSION. 3

million of dollars, and a very earnest discussion followed.
Every member had spoken his sentiments on the motion except
the judge, who sat in the rear of the committee-room listening
intently to every word that was uttered. At last the chairman
called upon him. Rising from his seat and stepping forward
near the table, where he could command the gaze of every
member, Judge Thomas gave utterance, in a very impressive
manner, to convictions which no other speaker seemed to have
shared with him. The solemn prophecy of his words was well-
nigh startling, as he told them that the country was on the eve
of a gigantic contest to preserve the Union. He knew well
the spirit and temper of the Southern leaders. They were dead
in earnest to destroy the Federal government, and establish a
confederacy of which human slavery would be the chief corner
stone. It was not enough that in his inaugural address, Presi
dent Lincoln plainly told them it was not his purpose to inter
fere with the institutions of any of the states ; they wanted
absolute separation. He felt that they would use every possi
ble means to accomplish their end. That meant war, and we
should find them " foemen worthy of our steel." "Gentlemen
of the Committee," said he, in closing his remarks, " I am not
only in favor of appropriating five hundred thousand dollars for
this war, but I am in favor of appropriating one million of dol
lars. It will require a million, and I am not sure but that sum
will be needed before the next regular session of the legis
lature in October. I therefore move to amend the bill, by
making the governor, lieutenant-governor, and treasurer a com- '
mittee to borrow at once five hundred thousand dollars, with
authority to borrow another five hundred thousand when it
shall be needed."

The earnestness and candor of this unexpected speech, con
vinced every member of the committee that the judge was
right, and without further debate it was voted to report the
sum he had named, and the bill thus amended was adopted.

When the House took up the appropriation bill for consider
ation, it was no more prepared than was the committee to
accept the radical view of the secession movement presented

4 THE EIGHTH VERMONT,

by Judge Thomas. At first there was some mild opposition
to the provisions of the bill, and objections were raised by dif
ferent members. The legislature ought to be very cautious about
voting to expend the enormous sum of one* million of dollars,
— there was no way of raising such an amount except by direct
taxation, and that was a doubtful expedient, — and other equally
formidable obstacles were suggested, showing how little those
who uttered them realized the true situation of national affairs,
One of the principal arguments against the bill was made by
a brilliant member, who was one of the ablest debaters in the
House. He closed his speech with these words : " I tell you,
Mr. Speaker, and gentlemen of the House, if you put a million
of dollars into one side of the scale and the patriotism of the
people into the other, the million of dollars will vastly out
weigh the patriotism."

This base rating of the loyalty of the sons of Vermont
roused Judge Thomas to defend his position in one of the most
impassioned and telling speeches ever heard in the state-house.
Hastily taking the floor, he repeated with a terrible emphasis
what he had already declared in the meeting of the committee,
about the nature of the approaching struggle between the
North and South, and the vast importance of the issues at
stake. To him it was nothing less than a contest for the per
petuity of the free government bequeathed to them by their
fathers ; and when the gentleman said that a million of dollars
would outweigh the patriotism of the people of Vermont, he
felt disgusted at his ignorance of the popular mind.

At this point the author of the odious libel interrupted the
speaker, and tried to pla'ce a different construction on his words,
without retracting his assertion. But paying no heed, to this
digression, Judge Thomas proceeded to urge upon his hearers
the duty of the hour, in the most earnest and eloquent lan
guage he could command. He reminded them that theirs was
among the first loyal states to speak, and it was of the utmost
importance that she should set a good example to sister states,
and give no uncertain sound. Prompt, bold action would have
the effect to encourage patriotism and dishearten traitors.

RINGING WORDS. 5.

When the honor and life of the nation were" threatened, there
was but one right thing for every loyal citizen to do. He
would not consent to have it said, in the state of his birth,
among the Green Mountains, in the land of Ethan Allen, that
monqy could outweigh patriotism. The gentleman was alto
gether wrong, and did not know the people, if he believed what
he had said to be true.

Again the member who had made the unfortunate remark
sought to modify its meaning and make it less offensive. But
the sturdy judge refused to yield him quarter, and persisted
that there was no uncertain meaning in the demands of patriot
ism. He did not vote for the state officers named in the bill
before the House ; yet he would trust them as loyal citizens
of Vermont, and he had the most undoubted faith in the
people behind them. Rising to the demands of the occasion,
the speaker held his audience spell-bound, while, with vehe
ment and eloquent words, he pleaded for his imperilled country,
and the honor of the free institutions which made this the best
government under heaven. Nothing could resist the trenchant
logic of his argument, as he pictured in vivid colors the sacri
fices that must be made for the salvation of the Union, and
ended his speech with the following telling period :

" Until this rebellion shall have been put down, I have no
friends to reward and no enemies to punish ; and I trust that
the whole strength and power of Vermont, both of men and of
money, will be put into the field to sustain the government."

While Judge Thomas was speaking, every eye was fixed upon
him, and men listened with the closest attention, until he sat
down and the spell of his eloquence was broken ; then they
burst forth in enthusiastic applause, which told more plainly
than words could have said it, that he had won the day. The
vote upon the bill was taken immediately, and every member
voted " Yes."

The Senate bill authorizing the raising of four Vermont vol
unteer regiments for immediate service in " protecting and
defending the constitution and the Union," soon came up for
consideration in the House, and again the clear-headed, far-see-

6 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

ing patriot of the Democratic party gave shape and tone to
the action of his colleagues. He moved to amend the bill,
making the number of regiments six instead of four. But on
this point, also, a majority of the House were conservative
and objected, showing how little they realized the strength of
the revolt to be put down, or the magnitude of the army that
would be required to do it. It was claimed that if Vermont
should raise three regiments, and the other loyal states con
tributed proportionally, it would put into the field a larger
army than could ever be needed.

In answer to this plausible argument Judge Thomas replied,
that the true policy was not to calculate how few men from
each state the President can get along with ; but they should
ask, " How many men can Vermont raise at once and put into the
field ? " Thus, by showing the national strength at the outset
of the campaign, the enemy will be intimidated, and bloodshed
and treasure saved. The effect of his speech caused the House
to so modify and amend the Senate bill that the governor of
the state was thereby authorized to recruit two regiments with
out delay, and four others whenever in his judgment their ser
vices should be needed. Subsequent events showed that not
only the force thus provided for was immediately needed, but
that before the next legislature convened the entire six regi
ments were ready to be put into the field, together with the first
regiment of Vermont cavalry.

But there remained yet another duty to be performed before
the House could discharge the special business which it had met
to transact. Legislation reached its guarding hand still further,
and considered what compensation would be due from the state
to those who should volunteer to engage in military service.
And yet again it was the potential thought of Judge Thomas
that advocated a liberal policy towards the defenders of the
country. The bill to be acted upon was entitled "An Act
to authorize the embodying and equipment of a volunteer
militia, and provide for public defence." This was duly referred
to a special committee, of which the judge was a member, and
while deliberating upon it he told the committee that Vermont

GENEROUS PAY. j

had always stood at the head of all the states in caring for her
soldiers. She was the only state which made the pay of her
soldiers engaged in the war of the Revolution equal to specie ;
that in the war of 1812 she paid her volunteer militia five
dollars a month in addition to the pay they received from the
United States, and it should not be said that Vermont was less
liberal then than she had been in the past. " The only ques
tion now," said the judge, "is, what sum of money would be
equal to five dollars in 1812, when money was less abundant,
and consequently more valuable than it is to-day ? " He
thought it would require at least seven dollars to equal five in
1812, and he therefore moved that non-commissioned officers,
musicians, and privates receive, in addition to the compensation
paid them by the United States, the sum of seven dollars a
month each, to be paid them by the state.

This important motion was approved by the committee, and
the act thus amended passed the House ; and in complying
with its generous provisions three million, one hundred and
forty-six thousand ($3, 146,000) dollars were subsequently paid
to the enlisted soldiers and their families.

It goes without saying that, in urging upon his associates
his view of the situation, Judge Thomas rightly estimated the
sentiment that pervaded the land of Ethan Allen. Nobly did
Vermont offer her best blood and treasure on the altar of our
common country in the hour of peril ; bravely did her patriotic
sons haste to the front in defence of the dear old flag. A
quarter of a century has elapsed since war's dread tocsin sum
moned them to arms. Sun and rain have bleached the blood
stained fields where they fought, and clothed with verdure the
graves of the fallen. The horrors of battle are followed by
the blessings of a securer peace. And now in gratitude for the
service rendered, one who knows its history attempts, as a
labor of love, to record the sufferings and achievements of one
of the most prominent regiments that loyal New England sent
forth to conquer the Great Rebellion.

The Eighth Vermont.

ORGANIZATION.

THE insurgent frenzy of the South had become organized,
defiant rebellion ; the seventy-five thousand volunteers who
responded to the call of President Lincoln on the fifteenth of
April, 1861, had served their three months at the front and
returned home ; the three hundred thousand called for a month
later were in the field ; a military way had been opened through
Annapolis to the national capital; the Union arms had suf
fered a disastrous rout at Bull Run ; the aristocracy of England
was seeking a plausible pretext to urge the recognition of the
Confederacy as a belligerent nation ; and sagacious men in the
loyal states were beginning to realize that the opening conflict
was no mere summer campaign, when Gen. Benj. F. Butler of
Massachusetts was ordered to take command of the depart,
ment of New England, and to raise in those states a force to
operate in the far South.

In pursuance of his instructions he at -once made a special
demand on the patriotism of the people; and in October, 1861,
he visited the governor of Vermont at Montpelier, to ask his
co-operation in the work of raising the troops required for this
service. The answer of the Green Mountain boys was the

10 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Eighth Regiment and two batteries, promptly marched into
camp and reported ready for duty — a brave contribution to the
Union ranks, when it is remembered that the state had already
sent one cavalry and six infantry regiments to the front, and
was recruiting a seventh, when the request of Gen. Butler laid
an additional burden upon its sturdy shoulders.

Thus began the history of a band of volunteers, whose faith
ful and heroic service in the great struggle to maintain the
honor of the national flag, it is desired to place on record in
this volume. Its military career was peculiar and in some
respects unique, since the regiment was recruited under direct
order of the general government with very little assistance
from local authorities, was formed in the short space of less
than three months and sent into camp in midwinter, and its
brigade and corps relations were with troops from other States
than its own during the entire service.

As soon as Gen. Butler's wishes were made known, with
prompt alacrity the state sanctioned the undertaking by the
passage of a special legislative act ; and thus armed with full
power to operate, the next step was to secure as commander
of the proposed regiment a man who stood high in the public
confidence, and would push the business in hand with the
utmost vigor. After a brief consultation, the general was con
vinced that Hon. Stephen Thomas, formerly judge of probate in
Orange county, was the right man, and lost no time in tendering
him the colonelcy, and urging him to accept it without delay.
At first Judge Thomas hesitated to assume so grave a military
trust. He was bred to the quiet habits of civil and profes
sional life ; he felt the 'claims and pressure of its manifold
cares and held his own abilities in modest esteem. He was
ready to sacrifice, he shrank from no privation or danger, but
the glories of the man of war had no attraction for him. The
spell of indecision was of short duration, however, for patriot
ism and the earnest desire of personal friends overcame every
scruple, and Judge Thomas put his hand to the plow, never to
look back until the armed revolt against his beloved country
was suppressed.

RECRUITING OFFICERS. II

His commission was dated November 12, 1861, and from
that time he ceased to ply the vocations of peace, and entered
upon his new official duties with the utmost enthusiasm and
unwearied devotion. His potent energy was everywhere felt ;
he traversed the length and breadth of the state, making pub
lic addresses, and urging on the work of enlistment with the
greatest ardor. In the choice of capable staff-officers Col.
Thomas was very fortunate, and it was on his recommendation
that Mr. Fred E. Smith, of Montpelier, was appointed quarter
master, to supplement his efforts. This officer's commission
was issued on the twenty-third day of November, and he
proved a most efficient co-laborer in the preparatory work of
procuring supplies and equipping the men as they came into
camp, thus relieving his superior officer of the details involved
in the rapid purchase and distribution of uniforms and other
supplies.

As an indispensable part of the machinery of enlistment, the
colonel appointed in different parts of the state the following
recruiting officers :

CHARLES B. CHILD, Derby Line, November 18.

HENRY E. FOSTER, St. Johnsbury, „ 18.

CYRUS B. LEACH, Bradford, „ 19.

EDWARD HALL, Worcester, „ 18.

HIRAM E. PERKINS, St. Albans, „ 19.

SAMUEL G. P. CRAIG, Randolph, „ 18.

HENRY F. DUTTON, Townsend, „ 18.

WILLIAM W. LYNDE, Marlboro, „ 18.

JOHN S. CLARK, Lunenburg, „ 19.

In compliance with their instructions these gentlemen began
at once the business of enlistment, and as fast as they were
filled the companies chose their commissioned officers, and
were assigned places in the regiment corresponding to the
dates of these elections.

Company A was recruited by Luman M. Grout and Moses
McFarland, 'in Lamoille county and the town of Worcester,
in Washington county, and was originally intended for the
Sixth Regiment ; but before the ranks were entirely full the

12 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

men were ordered to report at Montpelier, where the adjutant
general of the state wished to separate them and assign them
to different companies in the Sixth, which lacked a maximum
number. To this distribution, however, the members resolutely
objected, declaring that they had enlisted to serve together;
consequently they were ordered back to Hyde Park, to remain
until the full complement of men was recruited. The maximum
was reached Nov. 13, and the following officers were imme
diately elected : Captain, Luman M. Grout ; First Lieutenant,
Moses McFarland ; Second Lieutenant, Gilman Rand.

Company B was recruited by Charles B. Child, of Derby
Line, assisted by Stephen F. Spalding, Fred. D. Butterfield,
and John Bisbee, during the months of November and Decem
ber. It was to their advantage that Mr. Spalding had already
served with the ninety-days' volunteers who answered to the first
call of the President, and was familiar with military tactics ; for
as fast as the members enlisted he began to drill them at Derby
Line, and prepare them to assume at once the duties of active
service. The required number of men was obtained on the
I4th of December, and they elected : Captain, Charles B. Child ;
First Lieutenant, Stephen F. Spalding ; Second Lieutenant,
Fred D. Butterfield ; and on reaching camp at Brattleboro,
the company was assigned to the left of the line.

Company C was raised in Caledonia county, and principally
in the town of St. Johnsbury. It was recruited by Henry E.
Foster, was organized about ten days later than Company B,
and had the honor to be the color company of the regiment.
On the 25th of December the men elected as commissioned
officers : Captain, Henry E. Foster ; First Lieutenant, Edward
B. Wright ; Second Lieutenant, Frederick J. Fuller.

Company D procured a majority of its members from
Bradford, and the complement was filled with small detach
ments of men from Fairlee, West Fairlee, Corinth, Topsham,
Newbury, and Thetford, all adjacent towns in Orange county.
The company was recruited by the men who subsequently

COMPANIES. !3

served as its commissioned officers, and was organized Decem
ber 28th, by the choice of : Captain, Cyrus B. Leach ; First Lieu
tenant, Alfred E. Getchell ; Second Lietitenant, Darius G. Child.

Company E had its recruiting station at Worcester, in the
county of Washington, and the men who superintended the
enlistment were afterwards elected as its officers. It organized
on the first day of January, 1862, and chose: Captain, Edward
Hall; First Lieutenant, Kilbourn Day; Second Lieutenant, T.
P. Kellogg.

Company F was the sixth in the regiment to report at
Brattleboro, reaching the camp on the eighth day of January.
The members were recruited mostly in Franklin county, and
completed the organization by electing the following officers,
January 3d : Captain, Hiram E. Perkins ; First Lieutenant,
Daniel S. Foster; Second Lieutenant, Carter H. Nason.

Company G was the second company recruited in Orange
county, under the efficient direction of Samuel G. P. Craig
and John B. Mead, of Randolph, who displayed great activity in
their efforts to enlist men for the service. In six weeks this
company was full, and elected officers on the seventh day of
January, as follows : Captain, Samuel G. P. Craig ; First Lieu
tenant, Job W. Green ; Second Lieutenant, John B. Mead.

Company H was raised in Windham county, under the
superintendence of Henry F. Dutton, of Townsend, assisted by
A. B. Franklin, W. H. H. Holton, S. E. Howard, and W. H.
Smith. It was organized January I7th, by the choice of officers :
Captain, Henry F. Dutton ; First Lieutenant, Alvin B. Franklin,
Second Lieutenant, W. H. H. Holton.

Company I was recruited by William W. Lynde, of Marl
boro, with the help of George N. Holland and George E.
Selleck. The men enlisted during the months of December
and January, and rendezvoused at Williamsville, where they
were drilled in military tactics by Mr. Selleck. On the seven-

I4 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

teenth day of January the company organized, and elected as
officers : Captain, William W. Lynde ; First Lieutenant, George
N. Holland ; Second Lieutenant, Joshua C. Morse.

Company K was the last to report in camp, and completed
the number required for the Eighth Regiment. It was
recruited by John S. Clark, of Lunenburg, and elected its three
commissioned officers January 22d : Captain, John S. Clark ;
First Lieutenant, A. J. Howard ; Second Lieutenant, George F.
French.

The field and staff officers of the regiment, appointed and
commissioned by the governor, are given below, with the dates
of their respective commissions :

Colonel, .... STEPHEN THOMAS, Commissioned November 12, 1861.

Lieut. Colonel, EDWARD M. BROWN, January 9, 1862.

Major, .... CHARLES DILLINGHAM,
Quartermaster, FRED E. SMITH,
Adjutant, . . . JOHN L. BARSTOW,
Surgeon, .... GEORGE F. GALE,
Ass't Surgeon, H. H. GiLLETT,
Chaplain, . . . REV. FRANCIS C. WILLIAMS,

January 19, 1862.
November 23, 1861.
February 19, 1862.
November 23, 1861.
December 10, 1861.
December 20, 1861.

Col. Thomas appointed the following non-commissioned
staff : Sergeant Major, George N. Carpenter ; Quartermaster
Sergeant, J. Elliot Smith ; Commissary Sergeant, Lewis Child ;
Drum Major, Gershom H. Flagg ; Hospital Steward, Samuel
H. Currier, M. D.

The First Battery was chiefly raised through the exertions
of George W. Duncan, /of South Shaftsbury, and George T.
Hebard, of Chelsea, who were appointed for that service
November 19, 1861. It contained one hundred and fifty-six
men, including officers, and as the result of an election held
January 16, 1862, the following choice was made : Captain,
George W. Duncan ; First Lieutenants, George T. Hebard and
Henry N. Colburn ; Second Lieutenants, Salmon B. Hebard and
Edward Rice. It reported to Col. Thomas in Brattleboro, on
the twentieth day of January.

A PECULIAR REGIMENT. 15

The Second Battery was recruited by Lensie R. Sayles, and
contained one hundred and thirty men, and was mustered into
service December 16, 1861, having previously elected officers
as follows : Captain, Lensie R. Sayles ; First Lieutenants, C.
D. Smith and Benj. N. Dyer ; Second Lieutenants, John A.
Quilty and John W. Chase. This battery went into camp at
Lowell, Mass.

The following abstract of a report furnished by an officer of
the regiment, gives in detail the arduous work of organization
that devolved on the quartermaster and his assistants :

The Eighth Regiment and the First and Second Batteries of
artillery were raised by authority of the legislature of the state,
and were recruited, armed, and equipped by Col. Thomas,
under direct instructions from the United States government,
through Gen. B. F. Butler. These troops consequently stood
in entirely different relations to the state from other volunteers
who went from Vermont. Regiments enlisted by the state
received care and supplies from state officials, but the troops
raised by Col. Thomas could not look to Vermont for any aid,
and the responsibility and labor of providing for them devolved
wholly upon him and his staff. In a very important sense they
belonged to the general government, and not to the state where
they enlisted, and must look to the general government for
whatever they required. They were not entitled to share in
the state aid which was so lavishly provided for other, Vermont
troops. On leaving for the front, the only state property they
took with them was a lot of " sectional houses " which the men
never wanted, and did not use after leaving Camp Holbrook.

Being thus thrown on their own resources and compelled to
obtain supplies as best they could through red-tape avenues,
the members of the Eighth Regiment developed as young Ver-
monters of spirit are apt to do under such circumstances.
The experience made them self-reliant, rugged, able to meet
and endure the hard life in store for them. In their veins
flowed the best blood of the Green Mountain state ; and
being forced to depend upon their own exertions, such men

!6 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

were bound to make a reputation for ability and bravery, and
achieve a fame that would be the glory of the state.

In order to encourage and promote rapid enlistments, Col.
Thomas and Quartermaster Smith were continually on the
move among the recruiting stations, from Brattleboro to Derby
Line, working days and travelling nights ; holding war meetings
and making addresses ; contracting for supplies and transporta
tion, paying bills, and seehig that the work was pushed forward
with the utmost vigor.

It was fortunate that, in selecting his staff, Col. Thomas
chose practical business men, some of whom had previously
served the state in organizing and furnishing other outgoing
regiments.

To make a proper estimate of the case, it must be borne in
mind that the regiment bivouacked in the middle of a Vermont
winter of unusual severity, amid deep snows, when the thermom
eter ranged from ten to fifteen degrees below zero. Their only
shelter was a lot of cheap sectional wooden houses, less conven
ient and comfortable than tents would have been. Their mess-
house was a rough shed, and the hospital for the sick was but
little better. Under such inhospitable conditions the men
resolutely and patiently set themselves about the task of learn
ing the duties of the soldier, and practicing the necessary daily
drill. Is it any wonder that a regiment that displayed such
devotion, endurance, and industry, proved efficient in the ser
vice and Biade its mark in the army ?

The "winter of their discontent" was not unrelieved by
amusing and pleasant experiences, as when Col. Thomas found
in the village certain ddalers who continued to supply "evil
spirits " to his men, after being warned to desist. He did not
wait for the slow and quibbling course of the prohibitory law,
but confronted the offenders with a file of soldiers with fixed
bayonets, and the sellers were glad to make satisfactory terms.

One day some mischief-loving assistant in the cook's depart
ment intimated to the boys that the meat that was cooking for
dinner was hurt. Maj. Frank Goodhue heard the report and
sought counsel of Quartermaster Smith as to the proper course

GOING INTO CAMP. if

to be pursued, for the exasperated boys threatened to pull down
the cook-house. It was agreed that the regiment should be
told, as they were falling in for dinner, to observe the quality of
the beef, and if it proved to be bad and furnished by the
caterer knowing its condition, they might raze his quarters to
the ground. What shouts went up from the tables, when, on
marching in, they found not only wholesome meat, but every
man a bowl of savory oysters, hot from the suspected stew-pan.

The Eighth Regiment have many grateful recollections of
kind attentions from the ladies of Brattleboro, and especially
of necessities and delicacies sent to their quarters for the sick.

On the 8th of December, Quartermaster Smith was ordered
to Brattleboro to secure grounds, arrange barracks, and make
all necessary preparations for the reception of recruits at the
beginning of the new year. From that time until the regiment
quitted the state, his labors were manifold, and his duties
required close attention and the utmost exertion day and night.

CAMP HOLBROOK.

Seldom do civilized men experience a more abrupt and
thorough change in their mode of existence than did Uncle
Sam's raw recruits on quitting their homes for the first trial of
camp life. To take an outing in midsummer, and dwell in
tents for a few bright days, as Whittier and his three friends
did on Salisbury beach, or as many others have done, in abso
lute abandon, and ruled by no law more exacting than one's
own sweet will, may be restful and poetic. It is quite another
thing — be you volunteer or conscript, it is all the same — to
march into camp to the martial beat of a drum, there to surren
der your personal liberty, and obey the iron-hearted despot
who in ancient times was styled the dread god of war. Those
only who have tried it can realize what it is to forsake all the
wonted ways of civil and social custom, — family, business,
society, church, scene, however simple or prosaic, — and form
new and strange associations under the pressure of a rigorous

!8 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

law, that forbids indulgence and ease, and reduces one's imped
imenta and rations to the limits of bare necessity.

When the boys of the Eighth Regiment turned their backs
on the comforts of their own firesides, and* said farewell to all
their dear ones, it was a change to chill anything less temper
ate than true Yankee patriotism, for them to bivouac in the
dead middle of a hard Vermont winter, in rude wooden build
ings standing on the open plain like very bleak-houses to cut
the northern blast. Used to all the devices by which Green
Mountain farmers know so well how to rob the frost-king of his
icy terrors, it was a real sacrifice, a genuine test of pluck, for
them voluntarily to adopt a mode of life in which paucity of
comforts and manifold trials were the common lot.

The place selected for a camp was a short distance south
west of the village of Brattleboro. The elevation was high,
and the field afforded ample room, both for the quarters of the
soldiers, and a parade ground for company and battalion drills.
It was christened in honor of Governor Holbrook, and proved
to be so well adapted as a place of temporary rendezvous for
the state troops, that it was retained and used for that purpose
until the close of the war.

As already intimated, the winter of 1861-62 was one of unu
sual severity ; snow began to fall very early in the season, and
came to stay, for each new storm added to its depth, and the
weather was extremely cold. To increase their discomfort, the
portable wooden buildings in which the men were quartered
were by no means fitted to resist the inclemency of such a
winter, being constructed in a hasty manner, like summer
houses at the beach. They were heated with large wood
stoves, and the sleeping berths for the use of the men were
ranged on each side, one above another. Through the day the
occupants huddled together, and by burning a very liberal
supply of fuel, managed to keep themselves comfortably warm,
in an atmosphere reeking with the steam from damp garments,
and tobacco smoke ; but at night, when they had laid themselves
away upon the shelves of bunks provided for them, and were
disposed to sleep, it was found that a degree of heat necessary

LEARXIXG THE TACTICS. jg

to keep those in the lower berths warm nearly suffocated their
comrades in the dormitories over their heads. The natural
result of this ill-conditioned regimen was that scores of boys
fell sick with severe colds, and the surgeons not only had a
little foretaste of army practice, but soon had a hospital full of
patients ; chills and fever attacked a large number, and shortly
after the measles and mumps broke out in the camp.

Still, to the credit of the brave boys be it said, they seldom
made any complaint, even though camp fare did not compare
favorably with the abundance and variety with which their own
tables at home were spread. It is true that their ideas not
unfrequently differed from those of the cook about the best way
of preparing certain delicacies, but they were too well-bred and
considerate to intrude their personal preferences upon his
notice, unless they were exasperated by finding too much sea
soning in the broth ; and the only time that a strongly pro
nounced murmur escaped their lips was, when the surgeon
tried to deceive them with sundry doses of " preventatives "
surreptitiously mingled with the soup.

The bare details of that training process which rapidly con
verts a force of undisciplined citizens into a regiment of
soldiers, drilled in military tactics and equipped for a campaign,
would make very monotonous reading. But, common as such
experience became during the first years of the war, each
act of this metamorphosis was novel and deeply interesting
to the fresh recruits ; even the awkward manoeuvres and the
inevitable blunders displayed during the process of martial
education had a fascination for the learner, which might seem
almost unaccountable in the retrospect, after he became a
veteran in the service. But, simple as the task may appear, it
was no boys' play for even the most earnest in those schools of
tactics to curb the native waywardness of the free citizen, and
compel eyes, hands, and feet to obey with promptness and pre
cision the stern commands addressed to the ear. They were no
more at ease in blue uniforms than was the rural David going
forth to fight Goliath in a coat of mail. A gun in their hands
was an awkward weapon, more likely to harm themselves than

20 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

to hurt anybody else ; and, in this case, as always happens when
full-grown men attempt to learn new movements, they dis
covered how to do it long before the muscles would respond,
and it was often like taking some stronghold of an enemy to
bring their limbs into subjection, and make them and their
equipments

. . . . "but as the hands
Of loyal vassals toiling for their liege."

One of the amusing incidents in the earlier camp experience
transpired when Quartermaster Smith issued to the future
soldiers the stock of clothing furnished by the government for
their use. It was clear that Uncle Sam's contracting tailor
who made the garments had no idea of measuring the man and
then fitting his suit ; he seemed rather to expect that, having
made the uniforms according to certain patterns, it would be
the duty of the officers who distributed them to fit each wearer
to his clothes, as Procrustes, the Attic highwayman, fitted
victims to his bed. As a fact, however, when the time came to
exchange the citizen's dress for the soldier's garb, it provoked a
deal of hilarious mirth to see a square-shouldered, portly man
struggling to encase his ample limbs in trousers scant enough
to please a dude ; while a lean, light-weight comrade fairly lost
his corporeal identity in the baggy capacity of a fat man's coat.
Nor were the seams of these new garments always equal to the
strain to which they were subjected, so that in the course of the
first week after they were donned, many of the wearers had to
resort to the spools and cushions thoughtfully provided by a
loving wife or mother, 'and turn bushelman. Whether these
government suits were warm enough for service in Camp
Holbrook at the season of midwinter need not be too curiously
questioned, since they were quite equal to resisting the milder
air at the mouth of the Mississippi, a few weeks later ; but for
real comfort, so long as they tarried in Brattleboro, it were
better had each man been clad, like the doughty warriors of the
renowned Mynheer Michael Paw, in ten pairs of linsey-woolsey
breeches.

CD

o-

-^^^J • ••..•".'.::•..•• • ' : ': : "' •' .::.:!:::i !.':':';

THE FIRST DRESS PARADE. 21

But on entering the camp, every company, whether disposed
to make its discomforts a subject of sport or complaint, was at
once subjected to a rigid course of military discipline, which was
not relaxed until they ceased to be soldiers. Morning naps
were disturbed by the reveille, followed by the roll-call ; unaccus
tomed ears soon became used to the various calls for policing
the camp, detail for the day, sick call, guard mounting, and com
pany drill. For some time the daily drill consisted simply of
marching and other company movements ; but about the middle
of January guns and knapsacks were received, and then the
regiment, by squads and companies, was exercised every morning
in the manual of arms. At first the handling of muskets was
awkward business, and even those who took pride in the use
of "shooting irons" in the capacity of hunters, were as likely
as their less expert comrades to accompany the " right shoulder
shift" with a right elbow punch, or to let the breech of a gun
drop heavily on some protruding toes, when the command came :
" Order arms ! " But patient effort in due time conquered the
annoyances of the "awkward squad," and on the sixteenth day
of the month the regiment, proud of its military achievements,
held its first dress parade. It must in candor be admitted that
the performance was not an entire success ; but the next was
an improvement, and very soon it came to be the common
practice for friends of the soldiers and citizens of Brattle-
b.oro to repair to the camp every pleasant afternoon to
witness this interesting spectacle. No one who was present
will ever forget the praiseworthy efforts of the drum corps to
master the various scores ; or, when Adjutant Barstow had
brought his men to parade-rest, how proudly kind-hearted
Drum-Major Flagg led his band up and down the line, beating
the air with his drawn sword as a baton.

Nor was it in the ranks alone that a rigid course of instruc
tion in arms was pursued ; the commissioned officers, too, needed
lessons, and several evenings each week they assembled at the
headquarters of the colonel, and were taught the manual of
arms and the various regimental movements. In this business
Col. Thomas was ably assisted by Lieut. Col. Brown and Maj.

22 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Dillingham, both of whom had served in the Army of the
Potomac.

At length the novelty of the situation wore off, the men
became habituated to their new mode of life,4:he reins of author
ity were drawn a little tighter, members who were home on short
furloughs were recalled, and everything was put in readiness to
break camp whenever the order should be received. There was
some delay, however, in mustering the regiment into the service
of the United States, for Gov. Holbrook would not consent
that it should be done until the recruiting expenses had been
paid by the general government. But on the eighteenth day
of February, arrangements being completed, the transfer was
formally effected, and the regiment was mustered into the great
loyal army of the Union, the muster rolls being dated January
2 ist, at which, time the regiment was full.

Then followed restless days of waiting for orders to go to
the front. The men were on the qui vive of expectation, and
the camp was full of rumors as to their destination. One day
it would be reported that the regiment would embark at once
for Port Royal ; the next day it seemed equally probable that
Fortress Monroe would shortly throw its impregnable walls
around the untried soldiers ; then this rumor in turn faded be
fore a later one, that Camp Holbrook was to be deserted for the
battle-ground of the Army of the Potomac. These and many
equally reliable pieces of news had their run like epidemics
through the lines, and then died out, until by and by the men
came to the conclusion that such speculations were vain, since
no reliable information on the subject had yet been made
public.

Meanwhile, February 2ist, the enlisted men received the
first instalment of their state pay, which was at the rate of
seven dollars a month ; and seven days later the sum was aug
mented by the receipt of the wages due them from the United
States.

Every detail was now carefully attended to, and the regiment
appeared to be about ready to move, when the medical stores
were found to be scanty, and another delay was caused, while

ROSTER OF OFFICERS. 23

Col. Thomas and Surgeon Gale, after persistent demands, suc
ceeded in obtaining a limited supply for their use.

It is a curious comment on the public opinion prevailing at
that time, that when the regiment was on dress parade on the
fifteenth day of the month, Col. Thomas read to them a tele
gram just received, announcing the capture of Fort Donelson
by Gen. Grant, and told the men that unless they started for
the front at once, the army of the west would end the war
and have all the honor. How little did any man realize at that
time the gigantic strength of the new-fledged confederacy !
The brave men whose eager faces looked resolutely southward
on that bright winter afternoon, could not read in the horo
scope of the near future the years of hardship, and fighting, and
glory awaiting them, or the sacrifice of noble blood that must
be made, before the insulted Union flag could wave again above
the reddened field.

In less than thirty days after this speech, so touching to
soldierly pride, the looked-for order came, the camp was
deserted, adieus were said, and the brave boys of the Eighth
Vermont, with cheers of loved ones ringing in their ears, were
hurrying to the front as fast as steam and wind could carry
them ; storm-blast and snow-bank were exchanged for tropic
sunshine, and a life of waiting for the excitement and peril of
real conflict.

On the 4th of March, 1862, the whistle blew, and a long
train rolled away from the station at Brattleboro, bearing the
regiment and the First Battery to tide-water, while hundreds of
assembled friends and citizens waved back their signals of fare
well, as the space widened between them and the dear faces
they might never look upon again.

The regiment left the state with the following roster of

FIELD AND STAFF OFFICERS :

STEPHEN THOMAS Colonel.

E. M. BROWN Lieutenant Colonel.

CHARLES DILLINGHAM Major.

JOHN L. BARSTOW Adjutant.

FRED E. SMITH Quartermaster.

GEORGE F. GALE Surgeon.

H. H. GlLLETT Ass't Surgeon.

REV. FRANCIS C. WILLIAMS Chaplain.

24 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF :

GEORGE N. CARPENTER Sergeant Major.

J. ELLIOT SMITH Quartermaster Sergeant.

LEWIS CHILD Commissary Sergeant,

GERSHOM H. FLAGG « . Drum Major.

DR. S. H. CURRIER Hospital Steward.

LINE OFFICERS:

L. M. GROUT Captain. )

MOSES McFARLAND First Lieutenant. > Company A.

G. S. RAND Second Lieutenant. ;

C. B. CHILD Captain. )

STEPHEN F. SPALDING First Lieutenant. > Company B.

FRED D. BUTTERFIELD .... Second Lieutenant. )

HENRY E. FOSTER Captain, i

E. B. WRIGHT First Lieutenant. > Company C.

F. J. FULLER Second Lieutenant. )

C. B. LEACH Captain. )

A. E. GETCHELL First Lieutenant. \ Company D.

.D. G. CHILD Second Lieutenant. )

EDWARD HA LI Captain. )

KILBURN DAY First Lieutenant. > Company E.

T. B. KELLOGG Second Lieutenant. )

HIRAM E. PERKINS Captain. )

D. S. FOSTER First Lieutenant. > Company F.

C. H. NASON Second Lieutenant.}

S. G. P. CRAIG Captain. )

J. W. GREEN First Lieutenant.** Company G.

JOHN B. MEAD Second Lieutenant.}

H. F. DUTTON Captain. )

A. B. FRANKLIN First Lieutenant. > Company H.

W. H. H. HOLTON Second Lieutenant. )

W. W. LYNDE Captain. )

G. N. HOLLAND . .... First Lieutenant. > Company I.
J.C.MoRSE Second Lieutenant.}

JOHN S. CLARK . Captain. )

A.J.HOWARD First Lieutenant. > Company K.

G. F. FRENCH Second Lieutenant. 1

GOING TO THE FRONT.

The route of the train which bore the regiment southward
lay all that day in the picturesque valley of the " winding and
willow-fringed" Connecticut, opening its rugged arms in wide
and wider levels of fertile meadow, from the point where it
enters the Bay State to the coast where the sea receives it.
White gleamed the lessening peaks of their native hills as the

THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY. 2$

gallant sons of Vermont were rapidly whirled beyond eye-reach
of outlines long familiar, and dearer than all others, even when
clad in an envelope of snow ; but the winter glories of the
richest valley in New England allured them with a long pan
orama of swimming river skirted with ragged sheets of ice, the
guard of eternal hills standing on the right hand and on the left,
the snug villages and occasional city with roofs and steeples
flashing back the icy sunbeams. Calmly old Tom and Holyoke
gazed down upon them as they passed, and said, "Two genera
tions have lived since the Deerfield massacre, and your hot
blood will cool soon enough. Lo ! we watch out the ages."
The waters pulsing athwart the dam that turns the mighty
current upon the laboring wheels of Holyoke mills, gave a
leap as the freight of consecrated patriots hastened past to save
the honor of the nation ; and no object in nature, except the
cold lips of the heartless ocean, failed to respond that day to a
touch of the loftiest sentiment that has ever swayed the hearts
of men.

All along the lines of the railroad over which they traversed,
their coming had been anticipated, and often as the train neared
a village or a solitary neighborhood of farmhouses, signals of
encouragement and miniature flags were displayed, in token of
a hearty God-speed from all the inmates. A halt was made at
Northampton, where a burst of enthusiasm was excited by the
exhibition of a rebel flag which a Massachusetts regiment
serving in North Carolina had captured and sent home. On
reaching Springfield the migrating boys in blue were tendered
a warm reception by the assembled citizens, and entertained
with generous refreshment, prepared and served by the ladies
of the city ; and as the train moved on again a thousand loyal
voices shouted their thanks and farewells to the parting crowd.

The low sun had set and it was twilight when the train
reached the wharf at New Haven, where the steamer Granite
State lay waiting to receive the soldiers on board. Men and
baggage were transferred to the boat, the giant engine took its
turn at the laboring oar, and the weary men, after a sound
night's sleep, woke up in full view of New York. As the

26 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Sound steamer neared the dock two staunch sailing vessels, the
James Hovey and the Wallace, were seen at anchor in East
river, which the regiment learned were prepared to take them
to sea, they knew not whither. As soon «as a landing was
made a detail of men was left to transfer the baggage to these
vessels, and the regiment, refreshed and in excellent spirits,
marched to City Hall park and were served with morning
rations. During the day they were greeted by a large number
of sons of Vermont resident in the city, and in the afternoon
six companies of the regiment were ordered on board the
Hovey, while the remaining four with the First Vermont
Battery were bestowed on the Wallace. Before going aboard,
however, the resident Vermonters requested Col. Thomas to
march the regiment up town, where they proposed to tender
their soldier brothers a collation, but it was impracticable ; and
in the evening the colonel and his staff, with the line officers,
accepted an invitation to an elegant banquet at the Metropolitan
Hotel, in the course of which ringing patriotic speeches were
made by Hon. E. W. Stoughton, Col. Frank E. Howe, and
other citizens of New York, and also by Col. Thomas in behalf
of his regiment. This kindly courtesy tendered by personal
friends on the eve of their departure to engage in the perilous
work before them, was deeply appreciated by the officers, and
will never be forgotten by the survivors of the regiment. Col.
Thomas, Major Dillingham, Assistant Surgeon Gillett, and
Quartermaster Smith, accompanied the troops on the Hovey,
and Lieut. Col. Brown, Adjutant Barstow, and Surgeon Gale,
those on the Wallace.

It was regarded as a, critical time for such craft as the
Hovey and Wallace to put to sea, on account of the danger to
be apprehended from Confederate gun-boats. It was known
that the rebel iron-clad Merrimac was already equipped for the
work of destruction in Atlantic waters, and sent out specially
to prey upon Federal commerce, and menace the Union navy.
There were many fearful stories current about the formidable
character of this vessel, and the intention of the Confederate
government to send her up the northern coast to destroy loyal

UNDER SEALED ORDERS. 27

cities and shipping. What if the defenceless sailing vessels
that bore the Eighth Regiment should chance to encounter
this terrible monster on the high seas, was a question to make
the timid turn pale, especially as they had not even ammuni
tion for their rifles. Indeed, so strong a hold had this idea
taken of the public mind, that Col. Thomas was repeatedly
warned against exposing his men to the threatened danger ;
even Governor Seymour protested that it was unsafe for him to
venture out without suitable convoys to resist the enemy in
case of attack. But the brave commander met all such objec
tions with the reply that he had orders to sail ; and, like a good
soldier, he should obey them, leaving the responsibility where
it belonged. Accordingly, on the afternoon of the Qth instant,
the Hovey and the Wallace swung into the stream and were
towed down to Sandy Hook, where they were anchored for the
night, and made ready to put to sea early the following morn
ing. Meanwhile the men were busy writing farewell letters
home, and there was no little solicitude about their destination,
for they sailed under sealed orders, which could not be opened
until the ships had passed out of sight of land.

There is very little that admits of extended description in
this voyage down a boisterous coast at that most inclement
season of the year. Nearly the entire passage was tediously
rough, and the men, most of whom were never afloat on salt
water before, were prostrated with seasickness. Both vessels
were blown many miles out of their course by a heavy and
protracted gale, and parted company before the first night
closed in upon them. On breaking the seal it was found that
the regiment was ordered to report to Brig. Gen. Phelps, at
Ship Island, in the Gulf of Mexico, so that the first land seen
after Sandy Hook disappeared from view was the Florida coast.
The daily experience on board these crafts included the many
discomforts incident to an over-crowded cabin, a stormy pas
sage, and general prostration. Nothing was seen of the for
midable Merrimac, and only once, near the end of the voyage,
did anything occur to arouse the slightest fear of attack. One
day a steamer was sighted on the horizon, apparently bearing

28 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

down upon the Hovey, which brought the New York rumors so
forcibly to mind that a sensible quiver of trepidation seized upon
the nerves of some of the half-exhausted men ; but the captain
ran up his flag, and soon had the pleasure of seeing the stars and
stripes displayed from the approaching gun-boat. Both ships
weathered Key West on the first day of April, and twenty-seven
days after leaving Sandy Hook, the Hovey arrived at Ship
Island, and there was great cheering among the boys when, a
few hours later, the Wallace hove in sight and dropped anchor
beside her. Inquiry showed that, barring sea sickness, the pas
sengers on the former vessel had enjoyed excellent health ; but
several men on the Wallace were quite ill during the voyage, and
one of their number, Enos L. Davis, of Company I, died and
was buried at sea with the customary service.

Ship Island, on which the Eighth Regiment made its first
landing, is simply a bar or mound of clean white sand rising
out of the northern waters of the Gulf of Mexico, in nearly the
same latitude as New Orleans, and northeast of the deltas of
the Mississippi. It is about seven miles in length and from
half a mile to a mile in width. Most of this sandy area is bare
of vegetation, though' there is a small growth of timber at the
eastern extremity, and wild grass covers some of the depres
sions or basins here and there on the general surface. The
surface is low, and during the prevalence of very high tides or
severe and protracted storms, the sea has been known to break
over the entire island.

From this description it would not seem to be a place
peculiarly fitted for a 'military camp, but just the reverse.
Gen. Butler, however, found it better suited to his purposes at
that time than any other he could command, and had fixed his
headquarters on the highest ground it contained. A force of
soldiers could easily be provisioned there from the Federal
transports, and as to water, it was only necessary to sink a
barrel into the sand to obtain an ample supply that was fresh
and sweet. But, as it happened, the Eighth Regiment had
scarcely pitched their tents before a storm set in which proved

ON SHIP ISLAND.

29

to be one of the most terrific that had visited the place for
many years. One half the bar was soon submerged, and the spot
on which the men had chosen to bivouac was swept by the
in-rolling seas, and the soldiers were forced to retreat with all
their belongings from point to point, before an advancing foe
which cared no more for their guns and bayonets than did the
Atlantic Ocean for Mrs. Partington's broom. Several members
of a Western regiment encamped hard by were killed by the
sharp lightning, and there was grave reason to fear that, if the
storm lasted twenty-four hours longer, the entire army would
be swept into the sea, to meet the same inglorious fate that
threatened the fleet of yEneas, when pursued by jealous Juno.

As soon as its quarters were permanently fixed, the regiment
resumed daily -drill in military movements. There were then
eighteen thousand troops on the island, and on the ninth day
of April Gen. Butler ordered them all out for inspection and
review. This was the first grand parade in which the Eighth
Regiment had ever participated, and the march and counter
march along the shore gave the new recruits some idea of the
manoeuvring of large bodies of soldiers.

The sojourn on Ship Island was on the whole monotonous,
although the movements of the gun-boats, and the occasional
arrival of a prize ship, captured while attempting to run the
blockade, afforded some diversion ; and one day a squad of
Confederate prisoners, the first the Vermont boys had seen, were
landed on the island, where they underwent a very rigid inspec
tion by hundreds of curious eyes. It was true, of course, that
a live rebel was only a Southern citizen dressed in Confederate
gray ; but somehow the Green Mountain boys, in spite of that
fact, gorgonized the captives as though they had been as many
ferocious cannibals from the South Pacific, or specimens of the
strange beings whom Baron Munchausen encountered during
his famous adventures in foreign lands.

Gen. Phelps, who had been in "command of the troops on the
island before the arrival of Gen. Butler, was from Vermont,
and went out with the First Regiment, who were ninety-days
men. Many of them, by the way, re-enlisted in the Seventh and

30 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Eighth, and were pleased on reaching Ship Island to find
themselves again under their old commander. Gen. Phelps
was a man of great integrity and simplicity of character, whose
straightforward honesty was only equalled *by his disgust for
display and shams. One incident will illustrate this pecu
liarity.

A regiment of New York zouaves had landed on the island,
and as the general was sauntering thoughtfully along one morn
ing a young officer in fantastic uniform saluted him. Gen.
Phelps turned and surveyed him with apparent surprise, and
asked curtly :

" Who are you ? "

" I'm a zouave."

" What is that ? "

" An officer of a zouave regiment, sir."

" An officer ! I thought you were a circus clown."

A temporary device for relieving the tedium of this insular life
was the issuing and reading of a small newspaper, called the
News Letter. The regiment brought among the baggage a com
plete printing-press, and when Gen. Butler was apprised of the
fact, although it seemed to be a rather singular engine of war,
he ordered it to be set up, and put in order for use. Private
Eastman, of Company K, who was a practical printer, took
charge of the business, and established his printing-office near
the headquarters of Col. Thomas, and thenceforward published
the orders as they were issued, in due and regular fashion.

Thus far the Eighth Vermont had taken no part in the great
national struggle. Theirs had been the negative duty of getting
ready for action and waiting for a summons. But the time was
close at hand when they must join their comrades in the thick
of the fight, and know what it meant to be under fire. Capt.
Porter's mortar-boats had anchored below Forts Jackson and
St. Philip, and Farragut's gun-boats were in position, when on
the eighteenth of April, the sound of heavy cannonading to the
westward apprised the camp at Ship Island that the bombard
ment had begun that was soon to open the Mississippi for the

A FIGHT FOR ENTRANCE. 3!

free entrance of the Union navy. For three successive days
the fleet pounded away at the fortresses guarding the water
approaches to New Orleans, and then Capt. Farragut called
together his captains for consultation, and it was determined
that an attempt should be made to run past the forts. It was
an exploit full of difficulty and danger, and the chief hope of
success lay in taking advantage of the opportune moment, and
pushing up the river with rapidity and caution ; for no one on
board knew what obstacles they would have to encounter, or
what snares the enemy had prepared for them. But the hand
of present duty pointed northward, and, the orders being given,
preparations were quickly made. Shortly after one o'clock on
the morning of the twenty-fourth instant the signal for action
was heard, and in the course of the next two hours the fleet was
in motion. The fight that ensued was a desperate one, but in
due time Farragut's flag-ship Hartford and nine other boats
passed up and out of range of the guns of the forts, when they
immediately encountered a fleet of a dozen Confederate gun
boats, and a sharp engagement took place.

The plucky Union captain was victor, as all the world
knows, and passed on up the channel of the river, meeting
with no further resistance until he reached Chalmette, about
three miles below New Orleans. Here land-batteries sta
tioned on each bank of the stream opened fire upon the
fleet ; but after a short engagement their guns were silenced,
and Farragut pushed on again. Above this point -the gun
boats ran among vessels freighted with burning cotton and
boats loaded with timber all ablaze, which the- disconsolate
enemy sent down upon them. But these obstacles did not
hinder a fleet that had just run a gauntlet of shot and shell,
and about noon, during a violent thunder-storm, the defi
ant people of the Crescent City were astonished to see the
Yankee boats drop anchor in their harbor. But the Confederate
troops, persuaded that they could no longer hold the position,
had set fire to the shipping and wharves, stores of goods, and
other combustibles, and fled from the city ; so that for miles the
approach of the Union vessels was between parallel lines of

32 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

blaze and smoke. New Orleans, therefore, offered no armed
resistance to the entrance of the marines, and the next day
Capt. Bell,' with a detachment of a hundred men, went ashore
and raised the American flag above the United States mint.

After Farragut had passed up the river, Capt. Porter contin
ued to bombard the two forts, while Gen. Butler, co-operating
with him, threw a force in the rear, bringing his guns also to
bear directly on the strongholds of the enemy. Unable to hold
out longer, and seeing no chance to escape, the Confederates
surrendered to Capt. Porter on the 2/th instant, and communi
cation was opened with Gen. Butler, who immediately placed the
works in charge of a garrison of his own troops. Then taking
two regiments of infantry and a battery, he steamed up the
river and reached New Orleans on the first day of May. There
Capt. Farragut received his hearty congratulations and immedi
ately turned over the captured city to the general, who went
ashore and established his headquarters at the St. Charles
Hotel.

It was there that Butler found the first work for his Green
Mountain regiment waiting on Ship Island, and orders were
sent for them to break camp and come to him without delay. A
number of the men were sick in the hospital when the sum
mons was received, and were left behind in charge of Chaplain
Williams. Two had died, and found their last resting-place in
the shifting sands of that lonely island. They were Charles S.
Lamb, of Company D, and Corporal George Walker, of Com
pany G.

NEW ORLEANS.

Once more the Eighth Regiment with the baggage were
crowded on board the James Hovey, and, after some delay in
getting a tug to tow them up the river, started for New Orleans.
Their progress inland was full of excitement and delight. As
the ship slowly passed under the walls of Forts Jackson and
St. Philip, the men were aware, of course, that a stubborn battle
had been fought there, but could not then realize that it was

UP THE MISSISSIPPI. 33

the scene of a naval achievement that made the brave Farragut
one of the great heroes of history. Over the forts so recently
surmounted by Confederate colors, the stars and stripes were
floating ; and the regiment gave them a rousing salute, which
was answered by the garrison. To the untried soldiers this was
the gate of war, which once passed, they felt assured that there
would be no more idle suspense for them. But the momentary
thought of what a baptism of fire and blood might be in store
for them was quickly dissipated, as the rich landscapes of lower
Louisiana opened to their gaze. On either hand, as far as the
eye could penetrate, stretched the broad and level country,
clothed with tropical vegetation, and bright with spring-time
colors ; the air was fragrant with the odors of flowers, and
melodious with the songs of strange birds. The banks of the
river were lined with negroes, staring in wide-mouthed wonder
at the Yankees ; and above the quarantine were extensive
sugar plantations, and the houses of their opulent owners,
separated by a wide street from the cabins of their slaves.
In the nearer view were large magnolia trees in full bloom,
and orange groves bearing tempting fruit, while beyond stood
forests of live-oak, weird and gray with their long beards of
pendent moss. The water was very high, and whenever the
channel lay near the bank, the men discovered that they were
floating at a level of some fifteen or twenty feet above the
houses and gardens along the shore, which were protected from
inundation by strong levees.

The accommodations for officers on board the vessel were
rather limited, and at dinner the table had to be set over two
or three times before all could be served. By the time the
second lieutenants reached the table there was a " plentiful
lack" of the viands they craved. Feeling aggrieved on this
account, they assembled on deck, and held an indignation
meeting, giving free vent to their personal sentiments on the
subject. They also violated the rules of propriety by singing
an old song, which began :

" In yonder stall there lies a mule,

We picked his eyes out one by one.v
3

34 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Considerable amusement was caused by the singing ; but when
the indignant officers sent a committee of complaint to Col.
Thomas, he reprimanded them for their conduct, and directed
them to make no further disturbance. •

Passing Chalmette, where Gen. Jackson won an important vic
tory over the British, in the war of 1812, the men were on the
qui vive for their first sight of the Crescent City, whose smould
ering wharves still sent up a cloud of smoke in the distance.
It was a moment of intense excitement when the Hovey reached
New Orleans, late in the afternoon of the. i2th instant ; nor did
it abate, when, in the course of the evening, the men were
ordered ashore, to find the strange streets crowded with people,
going hither and thither in aimless confusion.

The chivalry of the South was full of defiant hatred of the
northern invaders, and the disappointed citizens expressed the
intense bitterness of their feelings in every conceivable way.
Above the general tumult, as the troops entered the streets,
could be heard the loud strains of " Bonny Blue Flag," and
other secession songs ; and for a counter-irritant, Col. Thomas
ordered his band to strike up " Yankee Doodle." After the line
had been formed in the street, orders were given to load the
muskets in readiness for any emergency that might arise, and
the regiment marched slowly, without opposition, to the Union
Cotton Press, where it was quartered for the night. A strong
guard was detailed for the neighborhood, under strict orders,
and both officers and men slept on their arms. To further
insure their safety, Col. Thomas issued very strict orders
against leaving the quarters for any purpose, and, in spite
of the various alluring 'temptations of a great city, there was
little disposition to disobey the recognized authority. A mem
ber of one of the companies, however, tried to get outside by
running the guard, and refused to stop when challenged. For
this piece of folly he paid the penalty of his life, — the sentinel
was firm and fired upon him, inflicting a severe wound that
proved fatal in a short time. It was a hard case, but the stern
lesson put an end to all attempts to run the night guard ever
after,

AX ANXIOUS XIGHT. 35

That first night at New Orleans will never be forgotten.
The colonel was vigilant ; the men quiet and determined ; the
sentinels were on the alert ; and every precaution was taken
against being surprised by an armed force or a city mob. The
enforcement of strict military discipline was no longer a sham
practice, and the peace-loving sons of Vermont began to realize
that they were now in an enemy's country, where no one could
be trusted, — the objects of murderous hate in a strange city, and
liable at any moment to have to fight for their lives. There
was very little sound slumber in camp that night ; and, though
no disturbance was attempted, the boys were never more glad
for the sweet daylight than when the next morning dawned
upon their anxious eyes.

After the regiment had established itself in permanent
quarters at the Mechanics' Institute building, and the members
began to appear in public, and pass to and fro in the discharge
of their assigned duties, the bitter hatred which their presence
aroused in the hearts of the citizens began to show itself in
numberless ways. People watched their movements with
inexpressible disgust, and cast upon them frowns of intense
malignity whenever they passed. There was murder in their
defiant eyes, but evidently they did not dare to attempt any
acts of personal violence against the boys in blue. The
instructions given the troops by General Butler in regard to
their bearing towards civilians were very rigid. They were
to avoid as far as possible whatever would provoke their
passions ; they must pass through the streets in silence, take
no offence at threats and insults, and if fired upon simply cause
the arrest of the guilty parties ; privates must be respectful,
and no officer was permitted to appear on the street alone,
or without side arms. These wise and humane restrictions
were often very galling to the pride of the independent sons of
New England, and it would not be a surprising thing if, under
the pressure of repeated . provocation, resentment sometimes
got the better of prudence, and the loyal soldiers became
exasperated. The situation also imposed on the boys a severe
test of vigilance. Not knowing the full strength of the enemy,

36 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

or what expedients the maddened citizens might devise to
wreak vengeance on the detested " Yanks," it was necessary to
be constantly on the alert lest the smothered fires of revolt
should burst forth in riot and violence. Consequently every
thing must be kept in readiness for instant action, and night
after night the men slept on their arms.

Then, too, the air was full of wild rumors, which contained
no one could tell how much truth. It was said that Gen.
Lovell, who had evacuated the city on the approach of Far-
ragut's fleet, would soon return with a strong reinforcement
and capture the city. In the same connection it was asserted
that all the able-bodied citizens were secretly drilling in the
use of fire-arms, and would co-operate with Lovell's troops
whenever he should appear ; in this case, of course, it would be
easy to destroy the Union vessels lying in the harbor, and thus
cut off all hope of retreat, while the Confederate soldiers over
whelmed Gen. Butler with superior numbers and made his men
prisoners of war. Wrought upon by these and like rumors, it
was easy for the Union soldier, as he passed from place to place
executing the commands that devolved upon him, to imagine
he saw treachery lurking in the eyes of every haughty South-
erner he met, and that some subtle strategy was about to
make him its victim.

But the descendants of Ethan Allen, if they had not then
seen service of any very serious character, had learned one
lesson pretty thoroughly, which was that it is not a soldier's
business to reason why, or to make reply ; but simply to obey
orders, and, if his time came, to die. They went quietly about
their appointed duty, and presently came to the conclusion that
while they remained in the city, they were not very likely
either to be obliged to use weapons or to perish by means of
them.

Police and provost duty was the first service outside the
camp that fell to the lot of the Eighth Regiment, and in
carrying out these necessary orders large details were made
each morning to protect public and private property, to seize
concealed arms, arrest suspicious and disorderly persons, and

ESTABLISHING TELEGRAPHS. 37

attend to a great variety of other duties. The military district
was commanded by Maj. Dillingham.

Gen. Butler was fertile in expedients for accomplishing the
work which the government had sent him to do in New Orleans,
and it very soon occurred to him to utilize the telegraph lines in
and about the city for the benefit of his military operations.
These were in a demoralized condition, like everything else
that would be apt to afford aid and comfort to the detested
Yankees. The Confederates, before evacuating the city, had
destroyed or secreted the apparatus of the telegraph offices,
cut wires, and done all that lay in their power to render the
lines inoperative.

But with his wonted energy, the general determined to have
the system in working order, and caused inquiry to be made
among the regiments for a soldier whose ability and experience
would qualify him to take charge of the telegraph offices and
lines. The result was that Quartermaster Sergeant J. Elliot
Smith, of the Eighth Vermont, was ascertained to be a suitable
person; and by order of Gen. Butler, issued May I7th, he was
made a lieutenant on his staff, and appointed military superin
tendent of all the telegraph lines running from New Orleans,
and charged with the duty of putting all the lines in order, at
the earliest possible moment.

Lieut. Smith was a young man of marked ability and energy,
and set about the work to which he had been assigned with
great vigor. He was allowed a detail of about forty men to
assist him, among whom were the following from his own regi
ment : George C. Bates, George W. Packard, Henry C. Sher
man, B. H. Upham, Wm.'A. Tinker, Frederick Wild, William
Kinsley, and Rufus Kinsley. But as this force included no
trained operators, he was obliged to open a school of telegraphy
and instruct them.

The first lines put in order were those running from the
city to Camp Parapet ; to Milnburg on Lake Pontchartrain ; to
the passes at the mouth of the Mississippi, the quarantine sta
tion, and Eorts Jackson and St. Philip ; to Berwick Bay and
Thibodeaux ; to Rigolets ; and to Donaldsonville.

38 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

On the 23d instant, Gen. Weitzel appointed Smith superin
tendent of the fire alarm telegraph of the city, in addition
to the office he already held. After the promotion of Quar
termaster Sergeant J. Elliot Smith, Wnt. H. Gilmore was
appointed to that position.

During the first week that the Union troops occupied the
city, the people showed their animus by closing the stores and
other public places against the wearers of the blue ; but the
desire for trade and gain presently unlocked their doors again.
At first, when a Union soldier ordered refreshments at any of
the restaurants, and offered a greenback in payment therefor, it
was refused by the indignant proprietor, who declared he would
take nothing but coin or Confederate money. This exhibition
of southern venom was also short-lived ; for when the rebel
troops failed to reappear, and it was found that the Yankees had
come to stay, Confederate scrip was at a discount, and traders
were glad to take any kind of Uncle Sam's money at par. One
day Quartermaster Smith came upon a resident of the city who
had been a native of Vermont and an intimate friend of his
during their boyhood. But so strong was the sectional feeling
entertained by this "northern-born Southerner,"" that he re
fused to renew the old friendship under the circumstances ; but
said : " I shall be glad to see you if you come in citizen's
dress."

But the prejudice of the male population did not express
itself in so many spiteful ways as did that of the southern
women. In them the spirit of hostility knew no bounds, aad
they improved every chance that offered to insult and abuse
the northern soldiers. ' They wore' small confederate flags
fastened conspicuously to their dresses, or waved them in their
hands in public places ; if a Union officer entered a street car
containing southern women, they would rise and leave it ; and
to avoid meeting soldiers on the sidewalk, they would step into
the street, and show their intense hatred by every look and act.
A southern lady, for example, dropped a delicate lace handker
chief, as she entered a street car. A Union officer picked it
up and politely offered it to her, but she refused to take it,

ORDER XO. 28. 39

and withdrawing herself with a look of bitter scorn, said :
" I would never receive it after being contaminated by your
touch." The officer, without replying, raised the car window
and dropped the offending scrap of embroidery into the street.
All this hostility and evil treatment the Vermont boys bore
with commendable patience, winning thereby the approval of
their commander ; and it was not until one of these women so
far forgot her ladyhood, not to say her sense of decency, that
she spat in the faces of two Federal officers who were quietly
walking along the street, that Gen. Butler issued the famous
order, of which the following is a transcript :

HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE GULF.

NEW ORLEANS, May 15, 1862.

General Order No. 28. — As the officers and soldiers of the United States
have been subject to repeated insults from the women (calling themselves
ladies) of New Orleans, in return for the most scrupulous non-interference
and courtesy on their part, it is ordered that hereafter, when any female
shall by word, gesture, or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer
or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be
treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation.

By command of

MAJOR GENERAL BUTLER.
GEORGE C. STRONG,

Ass't Adjutant General, and Chief of Staff.

The effect of this much-criticised order was precisely what
its author desired. The forbidden outrages ceased, there was
an end of insults to Union soldiers, and it proved very useful
as one means of restoring quiet to the city.

JI.

ALGIERS.

AFTER the Eighth Vermont had spent about a month in New
Orleans, Col. Thomas received orders to transfer his regi
ment across the river and relieve the Twenty-first Indiana,
commanded by Col. McMillan at Algiers. Leaving Company
D behind as a provost guard for the city, the colonel complied
with his instructions, and on the 3ist of May, 1862, estab
lished his headquarters at the old Algiers depot ; and, as there
were no other troops stationed on that side of the river, he
'assumed command of the district, and acted in a semi-civil as
well as military capacity. Under this authority Col. Thomas
began to prosecute the work before him with characteristic
vigor. Capt. Charles B. Child, of Company B, was appointed
provost marshal, and pickets were thrown out as far as La
Fourche Crossing.

In their retreat the Confederate army had destroyed the track
of the New Orleans and Opelousas Railroad, and the colonel at
once called for a force of volunteers to repair and put it in
running order. There happened to be a number of men in the
regiment who were practically acquainted with that kind of
work, and by their exertions both the road and the rolling
stock were put in condition, so that military trains began
to ply regularly between Algiers and La Fourche. Civilians
were not allowed to use the cars, unless they first obtained
permission from the proper authority, and a strong guard was
placed on board of all moving trains, to protect them against
sudden attacks of outlaws and guerillas, who might be prowling

THE NEGRO QUESTION. 41

about the unsettled portions of the route. Lieut. Day, of Com
pany E, who was a practical railroad man, acted as engi
neer, and different members of the regiment took their turns
as conductors.

The forces commanded by Gen. Butler had not been long
in the service, before the negro question was brought to their
notice in a very direct and forcible manner. During the
summer large numbers of blacks, who had run away from their
masters, crowded into the camps and craved protection. They
had very crude and indefinite notions of the great struggle in
which the nation was- involved, ,but firmly grasped the idea that
uMassa" Lincoln was the God-sent Moses, who was to deliver
their race from bondage, and that escape into the Union lines
was the first step on the road to freedom. What to do with
these ignorant masses that had thrown themselves upon the
soldiers for protection, was a perplexing question. The senti
ment of the regiment was not unanimous. Part, recognizing
human slavery as an unmitigated evil, felt that it would be
wrong under any circumstances to remand the fugitives back
into servitude ; others contended that a body of troops, in the
discharge of their proper duties, could not lawfully interfere
with private property, or undertake to decide on the justice of
an alleged owner's claim. But very naturally the sympathies
of the soldiers prompted them to render every reasonable aid
to any colored brother whom they found groping his way to
freedom ; and when the Eighth Vermont found a crowd of
negroes upon their hands, as was frequently the case, the men
could not find it in their hearts to comply with the orders of
the war department, in force at that time, and return the help
less fugitives to their masters.

To illustrate the prevailing state of feeling in the ranks :
One day a negro, who had escaped from a plantation down
the river, came into camp and sought protection. He com
plained of cruel treatment, and showed the recent marks of a
chain upon his ankles, the sight of which stirred the indignation
of the men. He seemed willing to work, and one morning.

42 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

while he was helping to police the camp, his master appeared and
ordered him to return to the plantation. This the black man
refused to do, and thereupon the master drew from his pocket a
heavy leathern strap and began to beat him*with it. The negro
ran and the master pursued, keeping close to his heels and rain
ing blows upon him at every step. This spectacle was more
than the Yankee boys could witness unmoved, so they too
joined in the race, and every time the master struck his slave
they would give him a kick. This treatment had the desired
effect, for the master, finding himself likely to get badly worsted
if he continued to press his claim, ceased flogging the man and
left the camp without him.

But that was not the end of the matter, for Lieut. Col. Brown,
regarding this conduct of the men as a grave breach of army
discipline, ordered the adjutant to form the regiment into line.
He then addressed some severe language to the men, tel
ling them that they " came into the service to obey orders,
and not to interfere with personal property, whether in slaves
or anything else." This speech only intensified the feelings of
the men, and strengthened their resolution not to return the
fugitive slaves. The officers of the regiment were indignant
at this assumption of personal authority ; and, to their credit as
men, Col. Thomas and Adjutant Barstow, knowing the cause
of the alarm, remained in their quarters. The subject was
finally decided by the proper authorities at Washington, who
issued an order forbidding soldiers to return escaped slaves, and
when such fugitives appeared in camp the officers had no alter
native but to provide for them.

But while these instriictions made it plain enough what could
not be done with the contrabands, it did not dispose of the
question, how the multitudes, who were flocking into the Union
camps in every quarter of the South, should be provided for,
and the officers of the Eighth Vermont continued to have this
vexed problem thrust upon their attention.

After being at Algiers a few weeks, the number of able-
bodied men in the regiment was much reduced by sickness, and
it became necessary to procure the services of three or four

THE XEGRO QUESTION. 43

colored cooks. For this purpose the colonel ordered that a
limited number of negro candidates for the situations be allowed
to come into camp, in order that the places might be filled by
selection. The matter soon became noised abroad, and on the
following • Sunday morning the approaches to the camp were
found to be full of colored people, all desiring to offer their
services as cooks. On they came, a miscellaneous assortment
of all ages and sizes, arriving in squads and families, on foot, in
carts, and on mules, until the quarters were literally crowded
with negroes, none of whom had any intention of returning to
the places from whence they started. It was a hard matter to
choose the needed cooks out of such a promiscuous and sable
mass, and a still more serious question with Col. Thomas what
should be done with them all. One thing was certain, he had
no means of making suitable provision for them ; consequently
he resorted to a little strategy to get them to go aboard a
steamer, and then shipped them to Carrolton, where they would
be under the jurisdiction and care of Gen. Phelps. Having
disposed of the intruders and cleared the c.imp, the colonel
congratulated himself, as he composed his limbs to rest that
night, on the success of his little scheme. But the next morn
ing another crowd of negroes began to pour into camp about
sunrise, and continued to come until there seemed to be no end
of them, and again the colonel was at his wits' end. The
crowds about the commissary quarters came to be a great
nuisance, and the quartermaster was exceedingly troubled to
know who was going to make " provision returns " for the camp
so suddenly increased from one thousand to three thousand, and
still increasing. On reporting the case to the chiefs of com
missary and quartermaster's departments, this order was
returned: "Gen. Butler orders that you find them quarters
and give them rations ; and when the war is over we will go
to Washington and see to settling the accounts."

While pondering upon the case, and hesitating whether to
report it to Gen. Butler or take the responsibility upon his own
shoulders, he met Gen. Weitzel, and related the case to him,
observing that he had changed his mind and was of the opinion

44 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

that he ought to utilize them in some way. " You are not the
only one," replied the general, "who has come to that conclu
sion;" and intimated that Gen. Butler had modified his opinions
on that question. Encouraged by this cheering information,
Col. Thomas called on his superior officer at once, and laid the
matter before him. He found Gen. Butler disposed to take a
very reasonable view of the case, and received authority to feed
the black men, care for their sick, and employ them for any
service in which they could be made available.

Nor was the contraband question allowed to rest with simply
providing for the necessities of the colored men. Gen. Butler
was not content until he had solved the problem of making
them a direct factor in the work of suppressing the rebellion.
With commendable forethought he cast about him for a plausi
ble pretext to convert them into soldiers, and found an order
issued by the Confederate governor, and another from Gen.
Lovell, for raising a colored regiment. He further strength
ened his case by announcing that Gen. Jackson authorized
raising colored troops to serve in the war of 1812. These pre
cedents were sufficient, and he issued immediate orders to recruit
two regiments from the fugitives who had come within the
Union lines. These were officered with white men selected
from the older regiments, and proved to be excellent troops.

'In the early part of the month of June, Lieut. Col. Brown
was detailed by Gen. Butler to lay aside the sword for the pen,
and take editorial charge of the Delta, one of the regular
newspapers issued in the city of New Orleans. This, with the
other local papers, was a radical secession sheet, and the gen
eral, finding it impossible to secure the publication of army
orders in any other way, seized the office and plant of the
Dclta> and converted it 'into an official organ of loyal senti
ments and military commands. Lieut. F. D. Butterfield, of
Company B ; Lieut. G. F. French, of Company K ; Charles F.
Russell, of Company A ; H. C. Abbott, of Company C ; C. G.
Tarbell and George H. Graves, of Company G ; O. N. Web
ster, of Company I ; H. K. Stoddard, of Company K ; were
detailed for the signal service.

HAPS AND MISHAPS. 45

There is one phase of volunteer campaign life which would
make a very entertaining volume, if it could be fully and skilfully
written ; if all the ludicrous happenings, vexatious accidents, and
unusual experiences of even a single regiment could be vividly
described and published in a book, it would make an invaluable
souvenir for every survivor. It is these seemingly minor
events that served to break the daily monotonous round of
camp life, and the remembrance of them that gives spice and
piquancy to the reunions of old comrades in arms. In such
material the career of the Eighth Vermont was not lacking,
and probably every member who reads these simple annals will
be able to recall many that the writer has overlooked or been
obliged to omit in so brief a history. But a few samples are
here introduced by way of illustration, that may provoke a
smile, as the veteran recalls to mind the strangely interesting
days when they occurred.

The boys had not been long stationed at' Algiers before they
discovered that " rebs " were not the only enemies who might
surprise them and attack the camp, for one quiet afternoon a
number of wild Texas steers suddenly made a descent upon
the tents, followed by herdsmen on their ponies, galloping close
to their heels. The creatures had strayed away from a drove
in the neighborhood, and for a short time they made a lively
charge, bursting into the tents, overturning kettles, and thrust
ing their lawless horns into everything that came in their way.
It was not safe to fire upon them, lest some missing shot should
glance and wound the men ; and there was no alternative but
to keep out of the way of the half-crazed steers, and allow
them to turn things topsy-turvy, until the drivers could capture
them with lassos.

One day the cook of Company H was in a towering rage
over an innocent looking mule belonging to the quartermaster's
department, because the beast, in the exercise of the peculiar
pedal functions for which his race is noted, had made a plunge
right through the cooking tent and utterly ruined the soup pre
pared for that day's dinner.

On another occasion some men were driving a herd of cattle

46 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

past the camp, when one of the animals suddenly disappeared
and could not be found, though the men in charge made a
most thorough search in all the vicinity. The fact was that
some of the Yankee soldiers, hungry for a taste of fresh beef,
had hurried the creature around the corner of the old depot
building, where it was slain, divided among •the companies, and
secreted piecemeal, and all so quickly done that the drovers
never knew what became of it.

Guard-mounting in the morning at Algiers seemed to be a
very interesting spectacle to both soldiers and citizens, and
was watched with eager curiosity. It was Adjutant Barstow's
duty to see that the business was properly executed according
to the prescribed army regulation, and he was much annoyed if
anything unusual happened to interrupt the decorum of this
matutinal observance. No one then present, however, has
probably forgotten the time when an insane man undertook to
assist at^ this exercise. After the adjutant had inspected the
guard and was returning to report to the officer of the day, he
found the lunatic standing in his place, and brandishing a
drawn sword which he had obtained from Major Dillingham's
quarters. The demented man imagined himself invested with
official power, and the wild look in his eyes told but too plainly
the danger of any attempt to oust him by force from the place
he had usurped. But Adjutant Barstow was equal to the occa
sion. Addressing the insane man, with a smile of approval,
he said : " You have acted your part well, sir ; now step aside
and let me try it." This had the desired effect, for the insane
man appeared pleased and walked away without attempting any
mischief, and the next day was taken to an asylum.

It was no uncommon thing during the first summer of cam
paign life for members of the regiment to have severe attacks
of home-sickness. One of this class of sufferers, fearing per
haps that his malady might prove fatal if he remained in that
climate, determined to find some means of getting released from
the service. So he feigned to be a fool, and every morning
would take a rod and line and fish hour after hour from the
wharf. He never caught anything, and when asked by com-

FUN-LOVING OFFICERS. 47

rades what he was fishing for, he invariably answered, " Not
much." So well did he play his part that the impression soon
became general that he was under-witted, and he was accord
ingly discharged. But when the official papers were placed in
his hand, he held them up, and with a look of greater intelli
gence than any one had ever before seen on his face, said :
"These are what I was fishing for."

It is not often that the boys in the ranks have a good chance to
uget the laugh" on their superior officers, but that event came
in the experience of the Eighth Regiment, when Adj. Bar-
stow and Lieut. Spalding, of Company B, started one fine day
for a saddle ride into the country. As they trotted along,
Spalding, who was full of good humor, said to his companion,
pointing to some trees by the roadside some distance ahead,
u Suppose on reaching that covert we imagine ourselves ambus
caded, draw our revolvers, fire at the enemy, and make our
escape." The fun of the thing suited the adjutant, and he
readily assented. Accordingly when they reached the place,
Spalding shouted, "The rebels!" and both men whipped out
their weapons and began to shoot at the imagined foe. But
their horses did not seem to appreciate the humor of the joke,
or else were in no mood to enjoy it ; for at the first shot they
wheeled so suddenly that their riders were unseated, and thrown,
while they galloped back to camp, leaving the disgruntled
heroes to be taken prisoners, or to retreat, as best they could.

Apropos, another incident comes to mind, illustrative of the
versatile humor of Lieut. Spalding. He was officer of the guard
one night, and, after tattoo had sounded, he invited Adju
tant Barstow and the writer to make the customary rounds with
him. At that time there were several thousand contrabands in
and around the camp, many of whom were quartered in large
warehouses near the river, where they held nightly religious
meetings, and kept up the noisy fervor of their grotesque
prayers and weird singing until a late hour. It was past mid
night when the three officers entered one of these negro assem
blies to quiet the noise, and found the pious excitement at its
greatest height. Striking a dramatic attitude, Lieut. Spalding

48 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

uttered in a stentorian voice, " Were I ten thousand times a
prince, I would not trespass on the ashes gf the dead." The
words of Shakespeare abruptly broke the flow of a negro mel
ody like a thunder clap, while startled worshippers on all sides
cried out, " Dar be no dead heah, Massa ! " "If you don't
stop this noise," pursued the lieutenant, "there will be a great
many of you dead." It is needless to add that quiet reigned in
that warehouse for the rest of the night.

By order of Gen. Butler, Col. Thomas organized a court to
try a number of petty cases, where citizens of Algiers had been
arrested for various misdemeanors. Quartermaster Smith was
appointed judge, and Maj. Dillingham was commissioned to act
as judge-advocate. Considering the variety of cases, which
included everything that might be expected to come before a
civil as well as a military tribunal, from the two women quarrel
ling about the ownership of a pig, to the citizen who was
arrested while attempting to convey stores to the enemy, and
who threatened the life of a railroad engineer if he did not
remove a small Union flag from his engine, business was dis
patched with very little delay, and most of the convicted offen
ders abided the sentence of the court. But one man, who had
been sentenced to be committed to Ship Island for six months,
appealed from the decision to higher authority. But his expe
rience was much like that of Shylock contending for justice.
•Gen. Butler, after patiently hearing the case, doubled the

sentence.

"At midnight, in his guarded tent,

The Turk' lay dreaming of the hour,
When Greece, her knee in suppliance bent,
Should tremble at his power."

His rude awakening at the sentry- cry,

" To arms ! they come ! The Greek ! the Greek ! "

though more tragic, was not less startling than that experienced
by the Eighth Regiment at the same still hour, in the guarded
camp at Algiers. For a soldier, whose night visions could not
have been as bright as the last dream of the Moslem slain by

FALSE ALARMS. 49

Marco Bozzaris, yelled out in his sleep, "The rebels are
coming ! " Instantly every man sprang to his feet, to hear the
long roll for the first time at midnight, and, in the sudden con
fusion, scarcely knowing what he did. Officers came rushing
forth bare-headed, with sword-belts buckled round their legs,
boots on the wrong foot, and uniforms all awry ; men were
crowding and fighting each other for the possession of equip
ments, or running to and fro frightened, or half-awake ; while
above the din and bustle was heard the call of the orderly
sergeants : " Fall in ! fall in, boys ! " To add to the panic, the
contrabands, scared half out of their senses, raised their vocif
erous jargon to swell the general tumult. It seemed a long
time before the orders of the officers were obeyed, and the regi
ment was formed into line to resist the expected attack ; and
Col. Thomas kept them standing there some half an hour, while
he investigated the source of alarm, when he dismissed the
command, telling them to " go back to sleep like good little boys."
But false alarms were sometimes even more annoying than in
the case just described. An officer, who had been prospecting
outside the lines one day, returned and reported that, in taking
an outlook from the top of a tree, he discovered a force of one
hundred or more rebels in camp within a short distance.
Early the next morning Col. Thomas took the regiment, except
a guard left for the camp, and started out to capture the alleged
rebels. Following the guidance of the officer who claimed to
have discovered them, the men tramped all day long through
swamps and woods, sometimes in ditches and water up to their
knees, — actually swimming canals, and felling trees for tem
porary bridges. Thus they forced their way with the greatest
difficulty to an open road, where they -had agreed to meet a
portion of the command ; but on arriving, so great was their
exhaustion that no amount of urging would induce them to go
another step. Col. Thomas therefore dispatched a messenger
to camp, with orders to the quartermaster to procure a boat and
come to their relief. In this way the command was returned
to camp about midnight, disgusted with the undertaking, and
vexed at the failure.

50 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

June 6th, First I^ieut. E. B. Wright, Company C, resigned,
and the vacancy was filled by the promotioti of Sergeant Maj.
Geo. N. Carpenter.

RACELAND.

The first baptism of blood, that trying ordeal to which every
thoughtful volunteer looked forward with dread, came to part
of the Eighth Vermont on the 22d of June. Two days
before, Company H, which was stationed on the extreme out
post of the railway, had fallen back from La Fourche Crossing
to Bayou des Allemands, when Capt. Button, hearing that some
parties were engaged in tearing up the track, sent a detachment
of thirty men, under Lieutenants Franklin and Holton, up the
road to Raceland. They were conveyed in a passenger car,
which was slowly pushed ahead of a locomotive, while Sergeant
Smith with six men preceded the car on foot, as an advance
guard. While thus moving cautiously forward, they were sud
denly surprised by the report of musketry from the woods
beside the track, and a shower of minies came rattling down
upon them. Officers Franklin and Holton were severely
wounded at the first fire, and the advance guard sprang on
board the train, while the engineer quickly reversed his en
gine and ran back with all possible speed. The secreted
enemy, then emerging from their coverts, continued to fire
upon the receding trairi until out of gun-shot range, and it was
returned from the windows of the car with fatal effect. Ser
geant Wm. H. Smith was wounded in the arm, and after he
boarded the car a second ball hurt his eye ; two of his squad
also were killed outright and left behind. The result of
the engagement was six Confederates killed and many others
wounded, while the Union loss was as follows : Killed, Corporal
Henry McClure, Corporal John W. Saunders, Private L. M.
Richardson, Private M. W. Wellman, and Fireman Stoats, of the
train ; wounded, Lieut. A. B. Franklin, Lieut. Wm. H. H.
Holton, First Sergt. S. E. Howard, Sergt. W. H. Smith, Sergt.

" YES, i 'j/ KILLED:^ 5 1

George M. Allard, and Privates Clark B. Akeley, Ebenezer
Oaks, Jr., Andrew J. Wood, Calvin L. Cook.

As soon as the train returned to Des Allemands, Capt. But
ton ordered Sergt. Smith to take the wounded to the hospital at
Algiers, and report the affair to Col. Thomas, and their arrival
at camp caused a great excitement. The colonel immediately
dispatched Companies A, C, and I, to relieve Company H at
Des Allemands ; but the enemy did not advance upon that out
post, nor did they again appear at that place later on.

Among the incidents of this encounter with the enemy is
told the following : On the retreat of the train Orderly Ser
geant Howard, who was examining the wounded men, found
Sergt. Allard apparently very badly hurt, and in reply to his
inquiries the sufferer said : " Yes, I 'm killed." Howard tried
to reassure the poor man, but it was of no use, for Allard
insisted that he was shot straight through the breast, and that
the bullet was lodged close to his spine just under the skin.
An examination seemed to confirm this view of the case, for
there was the wound in front, and the lead was plainly to be felt
beside the spinal column, and his comrades felt convinced that
his case was very critical. When the car reached Des Alle
mands, however, and the wounded sergeant had been carefully
helped out and deposited on the floor, Corporal Hilliard, who
was something of a nurse, while trying to minister to his com
fort, made the discovery that the ball, instead of penetrating
the bone, had glanced and plowed its way just under the skin
to its lodgment on the other side, and that Allard's chest was
as sound as ever. With a pocket-knife he easily liberated the
missile, and the doomed soldier was instantly relieved, and took
a new lease of life.

On the twenty-fourth of June, Surgeon George F. Gale
resigned, and was succeeded by Dr. H. H. Gillett, and Sam
uel H. Currier was appointed assistant surgeon. Dr. Gale
was well known in the state of Vermont as one of the fore
most men in his profession, was an accomplished scholar, and a
gentleman of character and dignity. Governor Holbrook had
appointed him surgeon of the regiment on account of his emi-

52 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

nent abilities, but the short time which he remained with
them afforded very little opportunity for ttie display of pro
fessional skill. After his resignation was accepted, and before
his return for home, the line officers signed resolutions which
were handsomely engrossed, assuring him of their confidence,
and regret at his departure.

A few weeks later the following promotions were made:
July 22 — Sergeant Dennis Buckley, Company D, to second
lieutenant, vice D. G. Child, deceased. July 23 — Orderly Ser
geant L. M. Hutchinson, Company A, to second lieutenant,
vice G. S. Rand, deceased. July 24 — Orderly Sergeant A. J.
Sargent, Company K, to second lieutenant Company E, vice
T. P. Kellogg, deceased.

On the last day of August, a bloodless expedition was
undertaken for the capture of cattle in St. Charles parish,
about thirty miles above Algiers. Word was brought from
Gen. Butler that a small force of the enemy was collecting
cattle in that region to send across the Mississippi for the
sustenance of the Confederate army, and there appeared to be
a very good reason why those prospective beef supplies should
be secured for the benefit of the Union camp. Consequently
Col. Thomas, with Companies A and C, a section of artillery,
and a company of cavalry, started late in the afternoon to
execute Gen. Butler's commands and possess himself of the
coveted supplies. - After an all-night march they came upon
the enemy's rear at an early hour in the morning, when the
cavalry began at once a sharp skirmish, and the artillery shelled
a piece of woods and a sugar-cane field to drive out the enemy.
About two thousand cattle, sheep, and mules fell into their
hands, together with about twenty prisoners ; and without
making any halt, Col. Thomas ordered his command to face
about and return, driving their booty before them. On the
way back they were joined by large numbers of negroes, who
had escaped from the plantations, bringing their mules along
with them, and soon the moving procession stretched from
three to four miles. The march was made as rapidly as possi
ble through the night, for the plundered enemy followed close

:•-"

.,.

A FATAL SURPRISE. 53

behind, and it became necessary to stop occasionally and
exchange a few shots with them, while the contrabands hurried
on the drove of live stock. But prisoners, steers, sheep, mules,
and darkies, were safe within the Union lines at ten o'clock
next morning ; and Col. Thomas was highly complimented on
the success of his dashing exploit.

BOUTEE STATION.

The Confederates under Colonel McWalters, whom the bril
liant night sally of Colonel Thomas had deprived of their
cattle, determined to revenge their loss. To that end they
marched toward Boutee station, where a small detachment of
the Eighth Regiment was on guard, and easily overpowered
and captured them. At that time daily trains were run be
tween Algiers and Des Allemands, and those going up and
down the track passed each other at Boutee station. This fact
being known to McWalters's force, which was fifteen hundred
strong, they turned the switches the wrong way on the morning
of September 4th, and concealed themselves on either side of
the track to await the arrival of the trains.

To lessen the danger while running between Des Allemands
and Boutee station, where the track was very much exposed, a
strong guard accompanied each train over that part of the line,
well armed to resist any sudden attack that might be made
upon it. Captain Clark, of Company K, in charge of sixty
men and a twelve-pound gun, was detailed to escort the Des
Allemands train on the fatal morning of the 4th, the soldiers
riding on platform cars. All unconscious of the fate in store
for them, they approached Boutee station as usual, keeping a
sharp lookout but seeing no signs of danger. Suddenly the
concealed enemy sprang to their feet, and with a fiendish yell
poured a murderous fire upon the unprotected men, who were
forced to run the gauntlet of leaden rain. The artillery men
were instantly cut down, and the twelve-pounder could not be
used ; but Captain Clark ordered his men to fire upon the Con-

54 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

federates as they issued from the woods in all directions, while
the engineer, who fortunately was unhurt, kept the train in
motion, and it ran upon a siding. The firing was rapid on both
sides, and the Union soldiers, owing to their exposed position,
were falling rapidly, as the cars moved onward where they
might soon pass out of range, but for the misplaced switch,
which the enemy had so turned as to run the train off at the
end of the side track.

At this critical moment, however, when it seemed as though
every chance of escape was cut off and the entire force must
perish ingloriously, Private Louis J. Ingalls, of Company K,
made a quick heroic dash that saved the day. Taking in the
situation at a glance he leaped to the ground, ran forward
through a shower of balls, turned the switch, let the train
pass on, and boarded his car again. It was a wonder that he was
not shot down, for his clothing was riddled with bullets, but the
only wound he received was a ball through the neck. The
immediate danger was thus averted ; but out of that terrible
fire but twenty-five of Captain Clark's command escaped un
scathed ; thirteen were killed outright, two others were fatally
shot and died next day, while twenty were more or less
severely wounded, some of whom fell off the train and were
captured by the enemy. The names of the slain were, Sergeant
James E. Thayer, and Privates Simon K. Bailey, John S. Col-
grove, Wm. R. Gray, Fred Greenwood, Henry McGookin,
Levi Brust, of Company E ; Privates Charles R. Car
roll, George J. Carson,, Joseph Leary, Charles F. Stone,
Auguste Laymont, of Company K ; Private Sylvanus F.
Ailes, of Company A. The two who died of their wounds
on the following day were George Clapper, of Company C, and
George Farrver, and John F. Departhy, of Company G. The
wounded were Lewis J. Ingalls, Gilbert Lead, George W. Hill,
Ezra S. Pierce, Chauncey M. Snow, Charles H. Presby, Arthur
M. Raymond, Charles H. Farnam, Henry ' Raseblade, and
Ethan Shores, all of Company K. Benjamin Morse, Company
E, was wounded and taken prisoner ; George Poor, Company
E, died of his wounds.

A SURRENDER. 55

Scarcely were the survivors of this tragic slaughter beyond
reach of the Confederate bullets, when they confronted the up
train from Algiers, and luckily both were brought to rest in
time to prevent a collision. By this means the latter escaped
the fate intended for it, and both trains made the best pos
sible speed to Algiers.

DES ALLEMANDS.

Bent on the work of destruction, the enemy then set fire to
the station buildings and houses in the vicinity, and then
pushed rapidly up the track towards Des Allemands. This
place was held by a portion of Companies E, G, and K, under
command of Capt. Hall, of Company E.

On coming in sight of the pickets stationed about half a
mile from Des Allemands, the Confederate commander sent the
sergeant in command under a flag of truce to inform Capt. Hall
of the operations at Boutee station, and that his force was suffi
cient to surround the Union men on all sides. Consequently he
demanded an immediate surrender in order to prevent needless
bloodshed. As a reply to this summons, Capt. Hall dispatched
Lieut. Greene with a flag of truce to meet Col. McWalters,
while he held a hasty consultation with his officers, and decided
what course to pursue. But while the question of surrender
was under discussion, they saw the Confederates marching
towards them in close column with Lieut. Greene in front of
them. There was no time to lose, and Capt. Hall, aware that
his force was quite inadequate to successful resistance, and that
his supply of ammunition was low, surrendered himself and his
command, prisoners of war. Besides Capt. Hall, the force con
sisted of Lieut. Sargent, of Company E ; Lieutenants Greene
and Mead, of Company G ; and one hundred and thirty-seven
privates.

Lieut. Morse, of Company I, who had command of the artil
lery at Des Allemands, made his escape when the force sur
rendered, and, taking a boat, rowed some three miles up the
bayou, where he found a vacant house in which he rested a
while, and then hiding in a neighboring cane-field, slept there

56 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

through the night. There he also spent the following day,
waiting for the appearance of troops from, Algiers, and was
once obliged to secrete himself in the sugar-cane to avoid being
discovered by some rebel scouts who were prowling about in
the vicinity. The next day, while strolling cautiously along,
he fell in with a negro who told him that the rebels were
searching for him ; and just then a party of them came in sight
and fired several shots after him. But Morse fled to the cover
of the woods and escaped ; then after wandering several days
through the swamps, he finally reached the Mississippi, and
was taken on board a boat and landed at New Orleans. From
that city he crossed the river and reported to Col. Thomas at
Algiers. On reaching camp he was hatless and shoeless, and
suffering severely with malaria, which kept him confined in the
hospital for several weeks with a slow fever.

As soon as the trains brought the news of the Boutee station
attack to Algiers, Col. Thomas reported the case to Gen. Butler,
who immediately ordered Col. McMillan and the Twenty-first
Indiana to go up the river by boat and form a junction with Col.
Thomas at Boutee station. In prosecution of the same plan,
Col. Thomas started with his regiment by rail. The night was
very dark, and the train had gone scarcely a dozen miles when
the engine struck an ox which had strayed on to the track, and
the cars were derailed and most of them wrecked. Alonzo Sil
ver, of Company A, was killed, and William Rollins and Calvin
W. H. Smith, of Company A, were more or less hurt. His
progress thus thwarted, , Col. Thomas saw that it would be
impossible to reach his destination in time to meet McMillan,
* and returned to Algiers, intending to go forward by water, and
march across the country. But Gen. Butler countermanded the
order, and the next day the colonel withdrew his pickets to with
in twelve miles of his camp.

During the attack at Boutee station Corporal George W. Hill,
of Company K, received five shots in his legs and hips, but
recovered, and was afterwards made first lieutenant, and con
tinued in the service until the close of the war. Edward H.
Raserlade, another unfortunate member of the same company,

SWEET GIRL GRADUATES. 57

received six gun-shot wounds at the first fire of the enemy, and
fell off the car. He jumped up, however, and tried to escape,
when a Confederate officer dealt him a sabre blow on the head
and a cut on the shoulder, which felled him again to the ground,
where he was left behind for dead, or nearly so. There he lay
all night, weak and faint from hunger and loss of blood, and
was rescued by the Twenty-first Indiana, on its arrival next day,
and sent to Algiers.

Another bloodless campaign, but bearing a more agreeable
termination, was undertaken about the middle of September.
Rumor was brought to the camp that a small Confederate force
was massed at Thibodeaux, and three companies under Maj.
Dillingham were detailed to investigate the report. Crossing
Bayou des Allemands in boats, they followed the railroad track
to La Fourche Crossing, where a strong guard was left, and the
main force pushed on to Thibodeaux, about three miles distant.
Few people were to be seen in the streets on their arrival, stores
were closed and blinds shut on dwelling-houses, and Confed
erate soldiers, if there had been any, as well as civilians, had
apparently deserted the place. Maj. Dillingham found an iron
foundry containing models and patterns for manufacturing arms,
which he destroyed. Then, marching his command to the out
skirts of the town, he came upon a young ladies' seminary, from
the windows of which peered the eager faces of the school
girls, intent on getting a good look at the terrible Yankees.
Quartermaster Smith accompanied the party, and both the
major and himself being noted for gallantry toward the fair
sex, a halt was ordered, while the band was directed to discourse
sweet music for the delectation of the curious maidens of Dixie
Land. Having thus paid a delicate compliment to their pretty
auditors, the men gave three cheers for the " sweet girl grad
uates," three more for the dear old flag, and marched away to
the strains of " Yankee Doodle." On the return an old cannon,
which the enemy had hidden away, was discovered, and the boys
brought it home as a trophy.

After the disasters at Raceland, Des Allemands, and Boutee

58 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

*
station, a very sharp lookout was kept at all the outposts, and a.

mounted picket was organized. In the assignment of forces
Company H was stationed for a time at a place called Company
Canal, located on the Mississippi river, about ten miles above
New Orleans. Into their camp one morning. a man came riding
in hot haste from the south, who reported that the negroes on
a plantation some two or three miles distant had risen against
their white overseer, and were trying to murder him. To save
himself the overseer had locked himself into a small building
on the premises, but his pursuers were firing at him through
the shutters and were likely to kill him unless he received help.
The messenger was in great terror, and begged for soldiers to
go to the rescue of his friend before it was too late. In response
to his request, Capt. Button detailed a party of six or eight
men, who mounted horses loanedt hem by the outpost pickets,
and hastened with all speed toward the scene of the trouble-

Keeping their informant close at hand, they warned him that
any treachery on his part would be fatal to him, and had nearly
reached the plantation, when they met a procession of negroes
following a mule cart driven by an old negro, and lying in the
cart was the dead body of the overseer. It was a sad spectacle,
for the prostrate form was that of a young and handsome man,
whose clean white shirt front was drenched with the deep crim
son that had hardly ceased to flow from his veins.

The negroes evidently expected the Yankees to approve their
fiendish action, supposing that the Union army had been sent
there to kill their old masters, and would rejoice at any means
employed to get rid of them. They declared that the over
seer had been a hard master, and very "outrageous," what
ever that might signify, on which account they were confident
that their murderous act was entirely justifiable. They further
explained that the shots fired through the shutters of the
house into which he had fled for refuge took effect, and when he
attempted to rush out and escape, the old negro who was
driving the cart fired a charge of buckshot into his breast and
killed him. But to their apparent surprise, Capt. Button repri
manded the murderers severely, and had the old man and

A TR UE IVOMA N. 5 9>

%
several of his accomplices placed under arrest and sent to Gen.

Butler at New Orleans.

The letter which is here inserted with a brief preface will
carry its own lesson straight to the heart of every mother who
reads it, and plead eloquently for the exercise of a charity
broad enough to believe that there were honest secessionists,
who loved their enemies and tried to do them good.

When the regiment went up the Opelousas Railroad in
October, 1862, Orderly Sergt. S. E. Howard, being ill, was
left behind in charge of a picket-post near the residence of
Col. Sparks, at Company Canal. He was suffering severely
with chills and fever, contracted in that malarious climate, and
on learning his condition, Mrs. Sparks warned him against
exposure, and kindly urged him to sleep at her house and
receive medical attendance. But Howard respectfully declined
to accept the proffered courtesy, until he was seized with a
violent congestive chill which left him almost dead, and in this
condition his comrades carried him to her house.

Mrs. Sparks realized the desperate nature of the case, and
the need of prompt and vigorous treatment. But she had no
medicines, and could procure none short of New Orleans, which
was ten miles away. Her husband was infirm, and all her
negroes had left her except a few old decrepit men. To add to
the perplexity, it was four o'clock in the afternoon, and the rain
was falling in torrents.

Would a stranger be likely to face such obstacles in order to
save the life of an enemy, who had come there for the sole pur
pose of destroying a government for which she had sacrificed so
much ? She did ; and, with the help of a friend who lived half
way between her house and the city, the medicine was obtained.
Mrs. Sparks dispatched one of her old servants with a message
to this friend, who was none other than the wife of the late col
lector of the port of New Orleans, Mr. Hatch. He absconded
at the breaking out of the war, taking with him a large amount
of United States funds, and Mrs. Hatch was a most violent
secessionist, and a cordial hater of Yankees. But when the

60 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

message from her friend reached her, the kind woman's heart
within her overcame all other consideration, and Mi's. Hatch
set out for the city in the darkness and storm, got the needed
prescription, and herself carried it to the bedside of the sinking
Union sergeant. It cost her a night journey of fifteen miles,
in the course of which she had to cross and recross the Mis
sissippi river, and expose herself to storm and clanger.

For six weeks Sergt. Howard remained in that house, a very
sick man, and Mrs. Sparks and Mrs. Hatch were both unre
mitting in their care, and no mother could have nursed him
more tenderly. After his recovery it afforded him great
pleasure to be able to show them some acts of kindness, and he
desires in these pages to record a tribute of gratitude to his
noble, self-sacrificing benefactors.

Sergt. Howard was not the only member of the Eighth Ver
mont to whom Mrs. Sparks ministered during a period of
illness. Alfred Read, of Company E, was sick, and died at her
house during the autumn of 1862 ; and the following letter which
she addressed to the mother of the young man, in Vermont,
soon after his death, needs no comment.

COMPANY CANAL, LA., 1862.

Dear Mrs. Read: Although you and I are strangers — may perhaps
never meet in this world — my thoughts and heart have been with you the
last few days. This perhaps may seem strange, as our countries are at
enmity, and at war with each other.

I am a mother, and know np enemy in sickness or death. I sympathize
with you deeply in the loss of your son Alfred. It was my privilege to
nurse your dear child in his last illness ; it was indeed a pleasure to me to
administer to his comfort in his last severe suffering.

He was a patient, good boy; I stood by his bedside day and night,
conversed much with him ; he frequently spoke of his dear mother and
wished he was with you. He was aware of his situation, felt that he could
not live, said he knew there was a better world, where he would be happy.
He would be glad to see his friends, " but" said he, "I will meet them after
death."

This, my dear Mrs. Read, should be a great comfort to you, — that your
son should have a hope beyond the grave. What a consoling thought to par
ents, that we are only separated a short time from our children ; we are to

A REBEL MOTHER. 6 1

live in this world but a few short years at most ; here we have no abiding-
place, but seek one which is to come. Soon time with us will be no more,
and eternity will dawn upon us. Should we not then consecrate all our
energies and powers to preparation for that everlasting life beyond the
grave, where we will be free from all the cares of this world, our children
and friends restored unto us ? Be not cast down at the ways of God; He has
taken your dear Alfred for a wise purpose. Can you not exclaim, in the
language of the Bible : " The Lord gave, and the Lord taketh away ; blessed
be the name of the Lord " ? " He is able to heal your wounded heart ; look
unto Him in every trouble and sorrow." " Like as a father pitieth his chil
dren," so pitieth He us, weak, frail, and inconsistent as we are. He is a
present help in every time of trouble or need.

The last few hours of your son's life he was unconscious; a kiss was
imprinted upon his cold cheek for his mother; his manly form is now no
more to be seen, his eyes forever closed to the perplexities of this sinful
world, his seat left vacant at your table, his voice no more to be heard amid
the loved ones at home. May you and your family be enabled to bear this
sad bereavement with Christian fortitude and resignation, feeling it to be
the will of God.

This most unnatural war is convincing us more and more every day of
the truth of the Bible, — the father is in arms against the son, and the son
against the father, — each believing themselves pursuing the path of duty.

How many homes are now made sad by the loss of father, husband, son,
brother, or some near and dear friend. Would to God the trouble could be
-settled ! I have two dear sons in the Confederate army ; have not heard
from them the last four months, and know not that they are alive. It has
been my earnest prayer that they may be spared a soldier's death. I feel
an all-abiding faith in the promises of Christ, and am willing to leave all
things in his hands; he has promised to work all things together for good
to "those that put their trust in him." Were it not for this hope I could
not bear the troubles of this world.

I have everything to be thankful to God for, and hope that you and I,
with all those who are near and dear to us, may so live on earth that we may
be prepared for the blessed mansions above.

May you accept this letter in the same spirit it is written, by a sympa
thizing stranger and mother.

Yours respectfully,

A REBEL MOTHER.

The fate of Union prisoners captured by the Confederates
was usually hard, and often pitiful in the extreme ; nor did
members of the Eighth Vermont who fell into their hands
form any exception to the rule. On the Qth of September,

62 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

ex-General Wickliffe came into the Federal lines under cover
of a flag of truce, bearing dispatches from G*n. "Dick " Taylor,
who threatened to execute a number of the prisoners taken at
Des Allemands on the 4th of September ; but Gen. Butler's
forcible and threatening reply caused the inimical commander
to change his mind and spare the victims.

The men whom Capt. Hall surrendered at Des Allemands
were placed in charge of a guard of Texas rangers, and
marched a distance of one hundred miles to Camp Pratt, near
New Iberia. There they remained about six weeks, when they
were sent to Vicksburg, Miss., and kept in a jail-yard which
was the Andersonville of the Southwest. There they remained
several weeks in a wretched condition ; for the rebels had
robbed them of all their clothing and blankets, except a few
rags that were not worth stealing, and they were compelled to
subsist on the meanest food and sleep on the bare ground with
out any covering to protect them. It was late autumn, the
most uncomfortable season of the year in that latitude, and
they were exposed to storm and cold with no fires to keep
them warm. Capt. J. W. Smith, of Company K, thus writes of
their prison life :

" Our rations consisted of corn ground with -the cobs, and not sifted,,
which was prepared by mixing in a barrel, like food for swine, without salt,
and baked on the top of a stove, the outside being burned black while the
middle was raw. This was dealt out sparingly.

" One fifth of our number died soon after getting back to our lines, and not
one half ever returned to their companies for duty; and to cap the climax,
after we had our paroles, and were waiting for the boat to take us to our
lines, we were compelled to cast lots, and two of our number were selected
to remain and be shot, in retaliation for some guerillas executed by Gen.
McNeil, in Missouri. The lots fell upon Sergt. Wills and Private Spear.
Two days later the whole party, with the exception of the two selected to
be shot, were put on the exchange boat and taken to New Orleans. Reach
ing there on November u, they were at once sent to Ship Island to remain
until they were exchanged.

"It was an exciting moment when the line was formed at Vicksburg, and
the men all knew that two of the party were to be selected by lot to be
shot ; and it was a touching parting when their comrades took Sergt.
Charles R. Wills, of Randolph, and Edward Spear, of Braintree, by the
hand, and bade them good-by."

AN ATROCIOUS CRIME. 63

Sergeant Wills writes that "they were confined in prison
cells for several months, when finally they were reprieved by
Jeff. Davis." So deeply were they affected on hearing this
good news, that, in the enthusiasm of the moment, Wills gave
three cheers for the President of the Confederate States of
America. He was the only man of the Eighth Vermont who
ever cheered for that dignitary. They were both exchanged,
and Sergeant Wills returned to the regiment, but Spear died
before reaching the Union lines.

On the first day of October Dr. Cyrus H. Allen was ap
pointed assistant surgeon of the regiment.

SHOOTING THE GERMANS.

The saddest event connected with the capture of Union
troops at Bayou des Allemands was the shooting of seven of. the
Germans who had enlisted into the Eighth Vermont from New
Orleans. It will be recollected that those Teutonic members
of the regiment were residents of Louisiana at the time they
volunteered to enter the army, and the only charge ever pre
ferred against them was that they joined the Federal troops
instead of the Confederate. These seven happened to be
among the prisoners surrendered by Capt. Hall, and were
recognized by some members of the Confederate guard who
had formerly known them. As soon as this information
reached the Confederate headquarters, it was ascertained or
assumed that their names had been enrolled for conscription at
New Orleans, and as a consequence the Confederacy had a
claim on them for military service. On this flimsy pretext the
poor Germans were arrested as deserters, and denied even the
common civilities that humane victors «.re wont to extend to
prisoners taken in war.

In vain the doomed men protested their utter innocence of the
crime laid to their charge, and pleaded that the act of enlist
ment was an exercise of their rightful privilege as citizens of
the United States. Their cruel captors would not listen or

64 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

show them any mercy. Without allowing the Germans to
communicate with their friends or make afly preparation for
their own defence, a court martial was ordered to try the cases,
which went through a farce of hearing testimony, and returned
a quick verdict of guilty. So they were condemned to be pub
licly shot as deserters. The sentence was simply an atrocious,
cold-blooded murder ; but no one who knew or cared for them
dared to interfere with its execution, or lift a voice of remon
strance against this high-handed, brutal wrong, which the
"barbarism of slavery" had so well fitted the Southerners to
exercise.

It was a pitiable spectacle when these seven adopted sons of
America were marched forth to meet a felon's death. Brightly
the October sun smiled upon a land of unsurpassed natural
beauty, where every leaf and flower reflected the grateful
warmth ; but it did not touch the stony hearts of Confederate
military despots, nor were they moved by the sight of those
heart-broken men going to their own execution as martyrs to
loyalty and a noble cause. But the eye of the Eternal saw that
bloody deed, and the immutable law which shall eventually
right every wrong took notice.

Under some trees beside the railroad track a long trench
had been dug, and on the brink the seven Germans were
ranged, that their dead bodies might drop into it when they
fell. Seventy enlisted Confederates from the state of Louis
iana were detailed to do the death work. Several of them,
unwilling to take part in such revolting and doubtful business,
had hired substitutes. But when the command was given a
volley of seventy muskets was fired, and the victims expired
without a struggle. There was one blank cartridge fired, and
let us try to think, for humanity's sake, that each one of those
forced executioners clung to the hope that the harmless shot
was his. Into the open grave the warm bodies were hastily
thrust, and just enough earth was thrown upon them to hide
them from the face of the accusing sun. Their names were :
Bernard Hurst, Deidrich Bahne, John Leichleiver, Michael
Leichleiver, Michael Masman, Frank Paul, Gustave C. Becher.

A BROKEN-HEARTED FATHER. 65

Col. Homer B. Sprague, of the Thirteenth Connecticut, in his
account of this tragic affair, writes thus :

" The desolate spot has a mournful interest and we often visited it. Over
grown with weeds, it is yet easily recognizable beside some trees, nearly
abreast with the earthworks on the right side as you go from Algiers. The
traveller who has either sentiment or patriotism will hardly restrain his
tears, when he stands there and listens to the strain of the father's anguish,
as he shovelled the dirt away, to find the mouldering remains of his hand
some and noble boy. Will not the great Republic some dajr rear a monu
ment to mark the last resting-place of the seven martyrs, who died for
her at Bayou des Allemands, in the summer of 1862 ?"

The "handsome and noble boy" to whom Col. Sprague
alludes was an only son, whose aged father at first objected to
the enlistment of his much loved child, and he called on Col.
Thomas to consult about it. " I cannot bear," he said, with
deep feeling, " to have my son enter an army to fight against
the government of the United States ! I dislike to have him go
into the army at all, but I fear it is the only way he can be kept
out of the Confederate service ; therefore I consent that he shall
go with you to save the cause of the Union." The tears rolled,
down his cheeks and he trembled with emotion, as he added :
" It is hard to let him go, for he is all that I have."

Who can portray the heart-rending grief of such a father,
when, a few days after the execution, he searched out the body
of his son among its fellows in the dust, and with trembling
hands tenderly bore it away to a consecrated resting-place ?
The idol of his love, the staff of his age, had fallen, and who
could comfort him ?

When Col. Thomas heard the story of the shooting of these
men he reported the facts to General Butler, who declared, in a
forcible manner : " By the Eternal ! it shall cost them fourteen
lives." The colonel also made a report of the affair in writing,
and asked for a court of inquiry, to investigate the deed ; but
before action was taken, Gen. Butler was superseded by Gen.
Banks, and the government never sought to punish the instiga
tors of this military murder.

To this day there remains in the treasury of Vermont the
5

66 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

state pay of seven dollars a month due these enlisted Germans.
But it has never been drawn, and since thenvar closed, though
every effort has been made to find the lawful claimants, nothing
has been heard from them.

Wm. H. Brown and Dennis Kean, of Company G, surren
dered by Capt. Hall, were recognized on reaching Vicksburg as
deserters from the Confederate army, and were consequently
shot March 7, 1863, on the same day that the gun-boat Diana
was captured by the enemy.

Before the regiment broke camp at Algiers Orderly Sergeant
George E. Selleck, of Company I, was promoted to second
lieutenant, vice J. C. Morse.

All his comrades will recollect Andrew McKenzie, who was
drowned at Algiers, and how he became a member of Company
B. After the company was full he wished to enlist in it, and
it was agreed that if he would go South with them, the boys
would share their rations with him until a vacancy occurred.
He went, and at New York one man deserted the ranks, and
McKenzie took his place.

The promotions from the Eighth Vermont to other regi
ments, made during the fall and early winter months, are here
given, with as full data as could be obtained ; it is probable,
however, that some are omitted, because the records are not
at hand : Oscar W. Goodridge and Charles W. Blake, of Com
pany A, were made captains of colored volunteers. Sergts.
Augustine P. Hawley and Henry C. Abbott, Company C, cap
tains of Second Louisiana Volunteers. Serg. L. I. Winslow,
Company H, captain — . Rev. Isaac Blake, fifer Company B,
chaplain Third Colored Regiment. Edward D. Mooney, Com
pany B, lieutenant Fourth United States Colored Troops.
Michael B. Tobin, Company A, second lieutenant colored regi
ment. Hiram P. Harney, Company B, and James Noyes,
Company C, were made second lieutenants of the colored
national guards raised under direction of Col. Thomas. Sergt.
Harvey O. Kiser, Company A, and William K. Crosby, L. K.
Chamberlin, Elijah K. Prouty, Horace W. Kennedy, and
Hiram L. Whipple, of Company C, were made second lieu-

ISAAC BLAKE, Co. B.

LEAVING ALGIERS. 67

tenants of Louisiana Volunteers. Lucius W. Bissell, Com
pany G, first lieutenant Third Louisiana National Guards,
January, 1863. Stillman Smith, Company H, second lieu
tenant Second Louisiana Volunteers. Capt. H. E. Perkins,
Company F, major United States colored regiment. Lewis
R. Titus, Parker J. Noyes, and Sumner W. Lewis, Company
C, lieutenants in United States colored regiments. Warren B.
Stickney, Company H, lieutenant Ninety-ninth United States
colored infantry, and then appointed superintendent of first
public colored schools in New Orleans. In 1885 he was
appointed superintendent of the Freedmen's Bureau, in Lou
isiana. William S. Peabody, Company D, lieutenant United
States colored troops. Rufus H. Clark, Charles B. Fullington,
Harvey L. Smith, William G. Westover, and Charles G. Wood,
of Company A, were also promoted and received commissions
in other regiments. Azariah T. Wild, Company D, quarter
master third colored regiment. First Lieut. J. C. Morse, Com
pany I, resigned October 25, 1862. ' First Lieut. A. J. Howard,
Company K, died November 18, 1862, while he was acting
quartermaster. Assistant Surgeon S. H. Currier resigned
October 20, 1862.

The members of the regiment will have pleasant recollections
of Charles W. Blake, or " Father " Blake, as he was familiarly
called, who enlisted as fifer in Company B. He often held
evening religious meetings in camp, and at Algiers he fre
quently preached to the colored people. Chaplain Williams
found him a helpful assistant in taking care of the sick and
wounded, and he often said the funeral service over a dead
comrade. When "Father" Blake was promoted to the chap
laincy of a colored regiment, all felt that it was a merited
compliment to a faithful soldier and a noble man.

For weeks the Eighth Vermont had occupied a camp at
Algiers, and felt that wherever they might be detailed for tem
porary service, this was in one sense a home to which they
could return and rejoin their comrades. But when Gen. Weit-
zel assumed command of the brigade to which the regiment

68 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

belonged, they were transferred to a new field of operations,
and the old camp was broken up and desftrted. Before the
movement began, however, Gen. Weitzel selected his staff offi
cers, and complimented both* the Eighth Regiment and the
officer, by detailing Quartermaster Fred E. Smith for his acting
commissary of subsistence.

Having received orders from Gen. Butler to advance into the
La Fourche district and drive out the Confederate forces con
centrated between Donaldsonville and Thibodeaux, Gen. Weit
zel proceeded thither by boat, leaving only the Eighth Vermont
behind. This movement began on the 24th of October, and
the troops landed at Donaldsonville, followed down the bayou,
and meeting the enemy at Labadieville, defeated them and cap
tured two hundred and fifty prisoners.

In his report of this engagement, Gen. " Dick " Taylor says :

" In the last days of October the Federal Gen. Weitzel brought up a
force of some four thousand from New Orleans, landed at Donaldsonville,
and advanced down the La Fourche, on the west bank. There were Con
federates on both sides of the bayou, but, having neglected their floating
bridge, they could not unite. With his own, the Eighteenth, the Crescent,
Col. McPheeters, and the four-gun battery of Capt. Ralston, — in all five
hundred men, — Col. Armand resisted Weitzel's advance at Labadieville,
eight miles above Thibodeaux. The fighting was severe, and Armand only
retired after his ammunition was exhausted ; but he lost many killed and
wounded, and some few prisoners. Col. McPheeters was among the
former, and Captains Ralston and Story among the latter.

" The loss of the Federals prevented Weitzel from attempting a pursuit,
and Mouton, who deemed it /necessary to retire across Berwick bay, was
not interrupted in his movement."

On the same day that the brigade took its departure, the first
regiment of native colored guards reported to Col. Thomas at
Algiers. He also received orders to proceed up the track of
the New Orleans and Opelousas Railroad, dislodge the enemy
at Bayou des Allemands, and form a junction with Weitzel at
La Fourche Crossing. In aid of this plan Admiral Farragut
had sent a fleet around to Berwick bay, under command of
Commodore Buchanan, to intercept the crossing of the enemy
at Brashear City.

IN LINE OF BATTLE. 69

In the afternoon of October 25th Col. Thomas started in
pursuance of his orders, and marched his two regiments seven
miles along the railway, where they bivouacked for the night.
For the next twenty miles the long unused track was found to
be so overgrown with thick grass that the locomotive of their
construction train was impeded, and could make no headway.
But the orders were to open the road as they went along, and
put it in running order, and some plan must be devised for
removing the troublesome grass. There seemed to be but one
way of effectually doing this, and that was to pull it up with
their hands, as the boys had often done with weeds in their gar
dens at home. At first the men thought that grubbing up
grass was rather undignified work for soldiers ; but soon the
white regiment taking the lead fell to work with a will, and the
colored men followed their good example without complaint.
As the men proceeded they found it necessary to rebuild cul
verts that had been destroyed, and replace rails that had been
torn up, so that they were two days in reaching Boutee station,
where they halted for the night.

At that point Col. Thomas was informed by the negroes
that the forces of the enemy were massed at Bayou des Alle-
mands, and had the place well fortified. On resuming the
march next morning, therefore, he purposed to continue the
track repairs as he went forward, attack the enemy when he
came upon them, and sleep in Des Allemands that night. As
a precaution he ordered two pieces from a Massachussetts bat
tery to be mounted on a platform-car in front of the engine,
and loaded, ready for action if required. The manual labor of
that day proved to be much the same as that already expe
rienced — the men had to straighten and spike down rails, cut
timber in the woods for sleepers to replace those that were miss
ing, remove trees and other obstructions which had been put
upon the track, and, for a change, pull up grass. In the middle
of the afternoon they approached a curve in the road which,
when rounded, would bring them in sight of Des Allemands ;
and there a halt was made while the colonel formed his men for
action. The artillery-men took places on the platform-car by

70 THE EIGHTH VERMONT,

their guns ; the Eighth Vermont was to move to the attack on
the right of the track, and the colored regiment on the left.

Feeling uncertain how the native guards would behave under
fire, and whether their courage could be relied on, Col. Thomas
went down in front of the regiment, before ordering an advance,
and addressed the colored men. He told them, in substance,
that they were about to meet the enemy, and that not a man
must falter ; " for," said he, " if one of you hesitates, I shall
shoot him on the spot." Then he reminded them that they
were to fight for the glory of God, and the salvation of their
country ; to avenge the blood that had flowed from the lacerated
backs of themselves, their mothers, wives, and sweethearts ;
and woe to the man who flinched. While speaking, the
colonel was shrewdly noting the effect produced by his words,
and was gratified by seeing them close their lips with firm
determination, and show by their earnest looks that they would
do their duty.

Everything being ready, the skirmishers were ordered to
advance, and at the word of command the train and troops
moved forward. Pressing eagerly on, the skirmishers soon
reached the bayou, only to find it a deserted and smoking ruin ;
and on the arrival of the main body, instead of an enemy to
attack, they found evidence on every hand that the Confed
erates had fled at their approach. But they had first set fire
to everything about the station and the long bridge across the
bayou, and in their haste had left behind four pieces of artillery,
which were seized as trophies. Referring to this matter, Gen.
Taylor says: "A few days after the Des Allemands affair I

was called north Minute instructions were given

Col. Waller. The danger to be guarded against was pointed
out, .... and this trap Waller fell into. Most of his
men escaped by abandoning arms, horses, etc."

Once more, therefore, the men addressed themselves to the
business of repairing the railroad, and spent two days in re
building the burned bridge and making it safe and passa
ble. A train was dispatched to Algiers for tools and tim
ber before the job could be finished, and then the force

DISOBEYING ORDERS. 71

pushed forward to La Fourche Crossing without any serious
delay.

In his report to the adjutant general of Vermont, Col.
Thomas thus tersely sums up the work accomplished during
that march: "The command pulled the luxurious grass over
twenty miles of track, built eighteen culverts from ten to
twenty feet long, rebuilt what was estimated four miles of
track, rebuilt a bridge 475 feet long, drove the enemy from the
road, and captured seven cannon, all in one week, for which
they received from Maj. Gen. Butler a high compliment for
energy and skill."

On the 1 8th of November the regiment met with a great loss
in the death of Lieut. A. J. Howard, acting quartermaster, and
his place was subsequently filled by the promotion of Lieut.
S. E. Howard.

At La Fourche Crossing the troops halted for a day, and
then Gen. Weitzel ordered Col. Thomas to continue his recon
struction march to Brashear City, and put the road in order as
he advanced. At Bayou Boeuf he found that the enemy had
burned another bridge which was 675 feet in length. But his
men were already used to bridge-building, and set about the
work at once, actually cutting the timber in the adjacent woods
and preparing it for use. In five days the job was finished, and
the train passed across the new structure in safety. During
this period Col. Thomas, aware that squads of the enemy were
prowling about the country, threw out his pickets up and down
the bayou, with strict orders to use every means to prevent
surprises and sudden attacks.

There was considerable excitement one night within the
lines, because Private Hutchins, one of the pickets, shot
an officer for refusing to obey a challenge to "halt, dismount,
and give the countersign." Complaint was immediately
made to Col. Thomas, who, on investigating the case, found
that the blame lay with the injured party. He, with a brother
officer, being under the influence of liquor, refused to obey the
order of the sentinel, and Hutchins fired, as he was bound to,
giving the defiant officer an ugly wound in the shoulder. It

72 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

was a trying ordeal for a private ; but next morning Col.
Thomas sent for Hutchins, told him he did fust right, and, to
show his appreciation of a soldier who obeyed orders, promoted
him to be sergeant of Company E.

About twenty paroled prisoners came into camp one even
ing at Bayou Boeuf, who had been ordered to report to Col.
Thomas, by Commodore Buchanan, commander of the fleet
at Brashear City. The headquarters of the colonel and
Adjutant Barstow were in a small room of a house near
the track, and thither the prisoners went and showed their
paroles. Col. Thomas received them pleasantly, invited them
in, and seated them about the room as best he could. He
then seated himself on a box in the middle of the room, so
as to face as many of the prisoners as possible. It was already
dark, and he held in his hand a tallow candle, while Adjutant
Barstow sat in a corner near a table on which was another
candle, and the dim lights flared in the faces that huddled
together before them.

" Gentlemen," said the colonel, " I want to talk with you a
little. You are not obliged to answer any more than you have
a mind to ; but I always tell men to begin with, that what they
do say must be the truth ; they must n't tell me a lie. Talk as
much or as little as you choose ; but understand, whatever you
tell me must be exactly the truth ; — because if you tell me a
lie I can catch you in it, and I will punish you for it as quick as
though you were spies. 'Do n't know but I would hang you be
fore you got out of this room. This is what I tell my own
men and every man who comes in contact with me."

Having uttered this speech in a stern voice, and produced as
he thought the desired effect, the colonel changed his tone, and
in a familiar way inquired what their occupations were before
they enlisted into the Confederate service. In this way he soon
drew forth the information that they had been common labor
ers when they enlisted, and to what companies they belonged.
" In this pleasant way, I chatted with the prisoners perhaps
twenty or thirty minutes," said Col. Thomas, relating the

STAMPS. 73

affair, "for I had addressed them pretty sharply at first, and
wished to quiet any nervousness that my words might have
caused. Remember, I sat there in the centre of the group with
that weird light in my hand and my eyes on the men before
me; and when they were at their ease and had grown quite
communicative, suddenly I threw the light up over my head
out of the way of my eyes, and demanded in a loud, stern
voice : ' How many of you had a hand in shooting my men at
Des Allemands ? ' No one answered, and I said, ' There are four
of you,' looking round on all of them. ' Remember what I told
you about lying. You did — and you — and you — and you,'
I shouted in quick succession, pointing them out as I spoke,
and every one said 'Yes.' 'There is one more,' I said. 'You,
sir, are the man,' and my finger was pointed directly at him.
But he denied. ' Take care, ' I shouted, with all the energy I
could throw into my voice. But he still said 'No,' and the
others agreed with him. " You are not the man,' I added, still
keeping my eyes fixed sternly on him, ' I made a mistake ! ' He
was nearly frightened to death, but I felt convinced that he
was innocent. Then the men made a clean breast of it, and
told me all they knew about the shooting of the seven Ger
mans, and I believe it to be the only correct account I ever
received."

Company C took with them from Vermont a colored barber
by the name of Stamps, who served them as a cook, and at
intervals plied his tonsorial vocation. He was allowed consid
erable freedom, and when the regiment was at Bayou Boeuf he
went outside the lines, and did sundry foraging on his own
account. At length it began to be suspected that Stamps was
not over-scrupulous in the choice of plunder ; for two old ladies
called at headquarters one day complaining that a colored man,
wearing the Federal uniform, had robbed them of their table-
silver and other valuables. Col. Thomas was loth to believe
that any one in his command had been guilty of such theft,
but the ladies insisted that they had followed the robber into
camp, and on seeing Stamps, identified him as the culprit.

Stamps was accordingly subjected to close questioning, and

74 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

after some equivocation admitted that he had taken a few
things, but refused to restore the stolen property. The colonel
insisted, but Stamps was stubborn. Finally the commander
resorted to a favorite method of persuasion, and threatened to
hang him if he did not yield. But Stamps was not scared,
or, if he was, did not show it, and the order was given to
throw a rope over the limb of a tree, stand the prisoner on a
barrel underneath, and place the rope around his neck.

" Now," said the resolute colonel, " I will give you just two
minutes to tell where the silver is that you stole." Stamps
remained quiet for about half the probationary time, and did not
utter a word. Apparently he was quite indifferent to the feeling
of a noose tightening around his throat. The last sixty seconds
were rapidly ticking away on the dial of the colonel's watch,
and there were signs that the doomed man had something on
his mind to which he wished to give expression before the
barrel should be kicked from under his dangling form. " Tell
'em up in Vermont," said he, "tell 'em old Stamps lived poor,
but died rich." This was too much for the gravity of Col.
Thomas, and he ordered the man taken down and placed under
a guard. But old Stamps never told where he had secreted his
ill-gotten gains.

One incident which comrades of the Eighth Vermont fre
quently mention when recalling the days at the Bayou Boeuf, was
the explosion of an ammunition train. It was moving up the
railroad, and was near the La Fourche Crossing, when the train
suddenly " blew up, " scattering the fragments in a lively
manner. Private Peabody, of Company D, was killed, and Lieut.
C. H. Nason, of Company F, was hurled into the air and landed
in an adjacent cane-field, severely hurt.

BRASHEAR CITY.

Col. Thomas and his regiment finished the work of repairs,
and reached Brashear City on the 8th of December, 1862, hav
ing begun the expedition October 26th. Eighty miles of track
had been put in running order, and railway and telegraphic com-

CONFEDERATE RETALIATION. 75

munication was opened from Algiers on the Mississippi to
Berwick bay. At this terminus of the road the troops went
into camp and remained more than a month, garrisoning the
place, and doing picket duty up and down the bayou. Details
were also made from time to time to operate the railroad, and
Capt. H. E. Foster, of Company C, was appointed superintend
ent of motive power.

Several important promotions were made while the regiment
tarried at Brashear City. Lieut. Col. Brown, who had been
detailed from his command since May, resigned, and was dis
charged from the service; and on the 23d 'of December Maj.
Charles Dillingham was promoted to the vacancy. Capt. L. M.
Grout, of Company A, was made major ; First Lieut. Moses
McFarland was made captain of Company A, Second Lieut. L.
M. Hutchinson was made first lieutenant, and Corporal A. K.
Cooper was made second lieutenant.

It may have detracted somewhat from the pleasure of official
promotions, that about the time those just mentioned were
made, the camp were informed of the proclamation issued by
Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president, wherein he recounted
the offensive acts of Maj. Gen. Butler, at New Orleans, such as
the execution of Mumford for tearing down the Union flag, the
confiscation of private and corporate property, and the order to
send southern women to prison, and in retaliation declared
" that all commissioned officers in the command of said Benja
min F. Butler be declared not entitled to be considered as
soldiers engaged in honorable warfare, but as robbers and
criminals deserving death, and that they and each of them be,
whenever captured, reserved for execution."

Incidents both grave and ludicrous in character were continu
ally happening during the stay at Brashear City, and the daily
experiences and life of the soldiers were not unlike those at
Algiers a few weeks earlier in the season. One day a gentle
man named Van Patten came into camp. He formerly lived in
New York, but had married a wife near Bayou Boeuf, and was
returning from a visit to his plantation. He made himself quite
agreeable, and related a description of the retreat of the rebels

76 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

on the approach of the Eighth Vermont, that was given him by
an old negro who had always lived on his pla<?e. Part of it ran
thus :

" Why, Massa van Patten, do n't you tink dat deze Suverners
come runnin' one day and drivin' all de niggers an' de mules
away ; and dey said dat dey had burned de bridge so bad dat
de d — d Yankes could n't build it dis yeah. And now do n't
you tink, it wa' n't mo' dan' tree or fo' days, de fust ting I
knowed, 'long come de ole injine, puffin and snortin,' all cov
ered wid doze Norvun fellahs."

A singular accident hapened at that station, one day, to a
man who was crossing the track to go on picket duty. His toe
caught under the rail, and he was thrown flat on his face, while
the rifle which he was carrying across his shoulder fell directly
under him, and was discharged by the hammer striking on the
opposite rail. The ball passed under him from his head the
entire length of his body, and wounded his foot.

On another occasion Orderly Sergt. Howard and Private
Smith, of Company H, procured a boat and rowed down the
bayou some three miles, where they found a plantation and a
number of slaves. They told the negroes they had come away
from the far North to liberate them ; and in spite of the remon
strance of the owner, they brought the entire squad back with
them into camp. Referring to this incident in later years, Sergt.
Howard is fond of telling his friends that he was the first offi
cial emancipator of slaves in the department of the Gulf.

During the period of his military service, Col. Thomas did
not altogether lay aside his vocation of judge, for it was an
event of almost daily occurrence for parties arrested on petty
charges to be brought before him for examination. Among a
squad of such officers there appeared one morning a tall, sober-
looking man, who had been caught by a sentinel in the colored
regiment, in the act of running the picket guard. His sable
captor was called in and ordered to state his charge in detail,
which he did as follows :

" Well, Massa Colonel, dis man was stealin' by de lock ob de
canal, and I called out to him to halt, and he did n't halt ; but

A CLERICAL PICKET-RUNNER. 77

he passed on to go under de shade ob de masonry. I pinted
my gun at him and tole him to stop and come back. He said
he wanted to go ober dar, and would make it all right wiv me,
if I would let him go 'long ; and he den spoke in der low voice,
and said he would give me one half dollar. But I would n't
take none of his money So I captured him, and brung him in."

"You must feel quite flattered at such a report," observed
the colonel ; " where were you born ? "

"Well, sir, I was born in New England," replied the prisoner.

" What ! born in New England, and trying to run my
pickets ? "

"But please remember," said the accused, "that I wanted to
get home and attend to my profession."

"What is your profession ? " said Col. Thomas.

" I am a minister of the Gospel," replied the man solemnly.

The colonel eyed him sharply, as though taking an inventory
of the clerical prisoner's intellectual and spiritual outfit, then
continued forcibly :

" A minister of the Gospel, — a New England born man, —
and down here disobeying the laws of the land, trying to steal
by my pickets, and go over to the enemy ! What, sir, do you
think will become of a man who does such things against the
law of the best country the sun ever shone upon ? "

The man began to realize that it was no ecclesiastical tribu
nal before which he was arraigned.

"Where do you think you will go to," added the colonel,
"when you die?"

"Well, colonel, I humbly hope to reach heaven at last," he
drawled out, with much nasal cant in his tone ; but the next
words from the stern questioner startled him.

" Sir, do you think Gen. Washington and Ethan Allen
would allow any such d — d scoundrel as you to. go to heaven,
after trying to jump my picket lines ? "

Maj. Dillingham, who was near by, interrupted him with the
query :

" Do you think that Gen. Washington is in command there,
colonel ? "

78 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

" By the eternal ! sir, I do think he has got something to
say about such d — d villains coming into triose quarters," was
the colonel's emphatic answer.

A good story is told by one of the boys, who must have been
in a position to know whereof he spoke, concerning a gallant
young man who championed the cause of an injured lady, with a
loyal devotion worthy of a knight of chivalry. She came into
camp one day from Bayou Boeuf, claiming to be a staunch
Union woman, whose husband was a relative of ex-Secre
tary Chase. She complained that she was molested by thieves,
who entered her premises at night and robbed her of live-stock
and family stores, and she asked for the protection of a guard.
Col. Thomas, having satisfied himself that she was a deserving,
woman, detailed a young commissioned officer who was just
recovering from a severe illness, with instructions to remain at
her house and recuperate, and if he found robbers prowling
around the place at night, to shoot 'em.

Deeply sensible of his great responsibility, this young man-
did not permit slumber to visit his eyelids during the first night
spent at the lady's house, but there was no disturbance. But
the next night weariness overcame him, and he slept pro
foundly till morning, and then rose to find that a sleek grunter
was missing from the well-stocked swine-yard. The discovery
roused him to sleepless vigils during the third period of his noc
turnal watch, and about midnight he heard a short, angry " woof !
woof!" which warned him that the defenceless swine were again
endangered. Seizing his ready revolver, the youthful brave
crept noiselessly to the spot whence the sound came. It was
very dark, and he approached .within a few feet of several men,
who were conversing in suppressed whispers, and a moment
later he observed one of them trying to dispatch one of the hogs
with an axe.

It was time to interfere, and pointing his weapon in the
direction of the party as nearly as he could, he fired five
shots, at the same time stamping with his foot and shouting :
" Come on, boys, we've got 'em !" The robbers gave a fright
ened yell, and scurried across the field, and the guard fell back

GENERAL BUTLER. 79

within the house and reloaded his pistol. Soon there was a
loud knocking at the front door, and in reply to his challenge,
" Who 's there ? " he was told that his firing had been heard at
the picket station near by, and the officer in command wished
to know what the trouble was. Being admitted, the officer
further explained he had just met some fugitives who escaped
into a corn-field, but one of their number, a desperate character
named Pickens, who had been the curse of the neighborhood,
was severely wounded, and made prisoner. There was no more
petty thieving on those premises ; and although the lady could
not consistently reward her champion with her hand, after the
manner of ladies in the tales of knight errantry, Adj. Barstow
tendered the youth a little supper on his return to camp, and,,
in a felicitous speech, complimented him for his prowess, and
dubbed him "the hero, not of Cowpens, but of hog-pens."

It is fitting that a word should be said in this volume con
cerning Gen. Butler. During the first eight months of active
service the regiment was under his command, doing duty in the
department of the Gulf. For several weeks the men were
under his immediate supervision in the city of New Orleans,
and his considerate care for them won the high regard of both
officers and privates. Gen. Butler, too, came to know and to
confide in the regiment and its leader, Col. Thomas, whom he
soon placed in command of the west bank of the Mississippi.

Concerning the relations between Gen. Butler and the army
serving under him there can be but one opinion. He realized the
dangers to which they were exposed in that sickly, semi-tropical
climate, and did all that was in his power to shield them. He
considered their inexperience in military duties, he insisted
that the sick and wounded should have the best of care, and
that the dead should be suitably buried and honors paid to their
memory.

The Eighth Regiment on their part felt the utmost confidence
in the ability and devoted loyalty of their major general. They
believed him humane as well as brave ; they respected him as an
officer and loved him as a man. From personal knowledge of

80 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

the facts, they gladly indorse the statements in the general's
farewell address to the citizens of New Orleans: "I found
you captured, but not surrendered ; conquered, but not orderly ;
relieved from the presence of an army, but incapable of taking-
care of yourselves. I restored order, punished crime, opened
commerce, brought provisions to your starving people, reformed
your currency, and gave you quiet protection, such as you had

not enjoyed for many years I found the dungeon,

the chain, and the lash your only means of enforcing obedience
in your servants. I leave them peaceful, laborious, controlled
by the laws of kindness and justice."

To this it may be added with equal truth that he and his sol
diers patiently endured obloquy and insult until he could cure
it ; he prevented the yellow fever from visiting the city for
many years ; he revived the ruined business of the city and
added millions to its wealth ; he cleansed and improved the
streets and thoroughfares ; he gave remunerative employment
to the poor, and bettered the condition of the colored popu
lation, both slave and free.

Besides caring for the welfare of a great city, Gen. Butler
was prompt and efficient in the work of putting down the
Rebellion, and opening to commerce the great waterway of the
Mississippi.

Twenty-four years after his visit to Vermont for the purpose
of raising troops, Gen. Butler bears grateful testimony to the
character and nvorth of the men who responded to his call,, in
the following letter :

BOSTON, November 16, 1885.

Dear Sir : I have your letter, saying that the history of the Eighth Ver
mont is about to be published. No regiment has a better one. I have the
most kindly and grateful remembrances for the state of Vermont — Gover
nor Fairbanks, as is my memory — in enabling that regiment to be raised;
and I believe a special act of the legislature was- passed that it might be
raised. I have a very vivid remembrance of the kindness with which I
was treated by the executive and legislative branches of the government of
the state of Vermont in that regard, when I visited its capital in pursuance
of the instructions of the President to have a regiment raised for southern
service. The recruiting of the Eighth was promptly done, and no better

GENERAL BUTLER. 8 1

men as a body ever entered the service of the United States. It went to
Ship Island, thence to New Orleans, when the army took possession, thence
it was sent across the river to take possession of Algiers, thence thrown
out as an out-post regiment to hold the line of railroad and keep open our
communications with Bayou Teche, and thence it joined Weitzel's expedi
tionary force in which the whole of Western Louisiana was captured, as
against the forces of General Dick Taylor. I remember the high enco
mium given to the regiment by General Weitzel, and the regiment never
had anything else for its behavior in any position in which it was placed.
I would speak of its officers by name, but they will appear in your history,
and there is no need of specifying the officers where all did their duty so
nobly and well. I am,

Very truly.

Your friend and servant,

BEXJ. F. BUTLER.
GEORGE N. CARPENTER, ESQ..

31 Milk Street, Boston, Mass.

III.

BATTLE OF THE COTTON.

THE Eighth Vermont rested in camp at Brashear City after
the opening of the railroad in November ; but on the eighth of
January, 1863, they were ordered to move to Camp Stevens
near Thibodeaux. Two days later a second order came to
return again to Brashear City, equipped with three days' cooked
rations. This meant business, though the men did not know at
that time its full import. But some new expedition was on foot*
in which the entire brigade was expected to engage.

Gen. Banks, in carrying out the plans already matured by
Gen. Butler, whom he superseded in the department of the Gulf,
had learned that the rebels under Gen. Taylor had a formid
able gun-boat in the Bayou Teche, called the Cotton, and were
preparing other boats for offensive warfare. He consequently
ordered Weitzel to unite with the naval force in the bayou, and
destroy this dangerous craft.

That gun-boat, which, had been the terror of the Teche, was
named after John L. Cotton, a wealthy planter of Louisiana.
He was originally an ardent Union man, and opposed secession
to the last, as did nearly all the citizens of the Attakapas
country. But after the state legislature passed the ordinance of
secession, he espoused the Confederate cause with equal enthu
siasm ; and as a contribution to the defences of the newly
organized government, he fitted out a river steamer which he
owned, equipped it as a gun-boat, and presented it to the Con
federacy. The full name of the boat, therefore, was the John

ADVANCING ON THE COTTON. 83

L. Cotton ; and it was partially iron-clad and carried a heavy
armament. The commander was Capt. Fuller, a western
steamboat man, ''one of the bravest of a bold, daring class.'*
He fought manfully, and, after his pilot had been killed, and his
own arm broken, he worked the wheel with his feet and steered
his boat.

In pursuance of orders, the infantry went on board trans
ports at Brashear City, on the morning of January 13, and
steamed up the bayou, while the artillery moved along the shore
road. There was some slight skirmishing with the enemy that
evening, and the troops landed and bivouacked in line of battle.

The plan adopted for the next morning was for the fleet to
proceed up the bayou and open the attack, to be immediately
followed by the land forces as a support. The troops were to
move up the right bank ; but just before they started Gen.
Weitzel rode in front of the Eighth Vermont and read to them
a dispatch he had received, containing resolutions of thanks and
commendation for the service they had rendered, passed by the
legislature of their own state. The message was greeted with
cheers ; and before departing the general remarked that he
knew of no more opportune time to present those encouraging
words, and he hoped the regiment would prove themselves
worthy of the confidence reposed in them. The purport of this
compliment was not lost, and every man in the lines knew
that it meant hot work ahead.

Col. Thomas then rode up and clown the lines, speaking
words of encouragement. Gen. Weitzel had ordered him to
detail an officer and sixty men as sharpshooters, to advance
and pick off the gunners from the deck of the Cotton. At once
more than twice the required number of volunteers sprang
forward at his call, from which a selection was made, and
Capt. Button, of Company H, volunteered to lead them. Pre
liminaries being arranged, Quartermaster F. E. Smith, then of
Gen. Weitzel's staff, provided a transport on which the regiment
embarked and moved up the stream. Soon the guns of the
fleet began to be heard, and Col. Thomas, anxious to support
the attack, became impatient of the slow progress of the boat,

84 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

and ordered a landing to be made. The first two attempts to
bring the boat to the bank failed on account of the shallow
water, and much precious time was consumed by the delay.
But the third succeeded, and when the last man had passed
the gang-plank, the regiment was in line to march. Capt.
Button and his sixty men, however, remained on board, and
were landed near the gun-boats, about two miles further up
the bayou. Col. Thomas then marched rapidly by the flank
along the old road, running nearly parallel with the bayou,
and separated from it by cane-fields and a thick growth of
trees.

At this time the situation of the fleet was unknown to the
regiment. Col Thomas was simply making a rapid advance in
obedience to orders ; but whether his trusty soldiers, as they
hurried forward that morning, were to confront only a naval
force, or batteries and rifles, was an unsolved problem. The
brisk fire from the gun-boats could be distinctly heard not far
away, but the men, as they pushed on in a double-quick march,
did not know Commodore Buchanan's fleet and the Cotton were
facing each other, separated only by impassable obstructions
placed there by the enemy, that the shots were delivered at
short range with telling effect, and that the rebel gun-boat was
supported by Semmes's battery on the one side, and infantry
on the other.

Meanwhile the Union fleet, being hard pushed, were on the
lookout for the approach of the regiment and the sixty sharp
shooters ; and as soon as the boat carrying the latter came
within hailing distance of the rear gun-boat of the fleet, the
commander asked if Capt. Button could send a message to Col.
Thomas. Being answered in the affirmative, he said in an
excited manner : " Run, for God's sake, and tell Thomas if
those rifle-pits are not cleared in five minutes the Calhoun is
lost. She is aground, Buchanan is killed, and her gunners have
been driven away from the guns." On hearing this startling
message, Orderly Sergeant S. E. Howard, by whom this account
is furnished, sprang into a small boat and was instantly set
ashore, when he ran with all his might towards the advancing

av THE RUN. 85

regiment, and at the same time Capt. Button made all haste to
land his men.

But Col. Thomas was apprised of the peril of the fleet by a
speedier messenger, before the arrival of the swift -footed young
orderly. Capt. Cook, who was on the lookout from one of the
vessels, caught the attention of Thomas, and motioned him to
come down to the boats. Adj. Barstow was, accordingly, dis
patched thither. He learned that the unsupported Calhoun
(Buchanan's flag-ship) was at the front, exposed not only to the
guns of the Cotton, but to a cross-fire from a line of rifle-pits
on the bank, and galloped back with the news. Instantly the
regiment was formed in line of battle, and the men started on
the run. As they passed an open shed in the edge of the cane-
fields they were ordered to throw off all their heavy equip
ments without halting, and the adjutant was ordered a*gain to
ride down to the boats and get what information he could about
the location of the land force in their front.

As Barstow galloped back he saw that Company A, com
manded by Lieut. McFarland, were thrown out as skirmishers,
but not deployed, and that the troops were nearing a cluster of
buildings comprising a large sugar-house and brick-kiln, which
stood on rising ground. Knowing that the rifle-pits must be
just on the other side, he ordered three lads, belonging to Com
pany A, to run up and peer round the corner of the kiln, and
bring him word how the enemy was located. But instead of
returning the boys became excited, climbed to the top of the
kiln and began to fire at the rebels, who were so intent on
destroying the gunners on the Federal gun-boats, that they
knew nothing of the danger which threatened to annihilate
them from the rear. At that moment Button and his sixty
picked men came rushing up between the regiment and the
bayou, their guns trailed and the men running like a squadron
of charging cavalry.

The moment had come for a brilliant dash ; with the brave
McFarland on the right and the gallant Button on the left,
the entire regiment swooped down on the surprised riflemen,
and literally wiped them out in an instant. The scared Johnnies

86 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

who a moment before were hiding so securely in their pits,
while they dealt a murderous fire at the Union gunners, threw
away their guns and fled to the cane-fields «in utter confusion.
Seven were killed outright, twenty-seven were wounded, and
fifty-seven made prisoners, while the Eighth Vermont lost not
a single man. It is probable that the entire force in the pits
would have been captured had they not received warning of the
charge from the boys who fired at them from the kiln. As it
was, more than two hundred stand of arms were taken, and the
enemy was utterly routed.

This brilliant and successful onslaught was watched with
intense delight by the crews on the gun-boats, and as the regi
ment swept past, they gave them cheer upon cheer. Gen.
Weitzel, too, was so much pleased with their gallant behavior,
that he named them his right bower. Nor was it any fault of the
brave Vermonters that they were not there in time to protect
the Calhoun and save the life of her much-loved commander
and trusty gunners. "We moved so fast," said Col. Thomas,
referring to the event, "that we outstripped Button's boat,
and the rest of the brigade dubbed us the Vermont Cavalry."

The impetus of the charge carried the lines somewhat
beyond the rifle-pits, where a momentary halt was made, while
the prisoners were placed under guard, and Col. Thomas
ordered some negroes who were at hand to bury the Confeder
ate dead. At this time, too, a member of Company C, who
was so short of stature that he went by the name of " Little "
Danforth, brought to the colonel a very tall prisoner and asked
what he should do with him.

"Take him to the rear," was the answer.

"But he says he is all tired out and can't travel," persisted
" Little " Danforth.

They looked, and the " reb " had flung himself on the
ground, feigning to be perfectly exhausted.

"Put a bayonet through him, then," said Thomas, sternly.

On hearing this order, the prisoner sprang nimbly up and
trudged on ; but the sequel afforded Col. Thomas a deal of
amusement, and showed the trusting simplicity of the tender-

THEY DISCOVER A FORT. 87

hearted youth who made the capture. That night " Little "
Danforth went to the headquarters of the fatherly old com
mander, and asked in a tone of deep solicitude : " Col. Thomas,
did you really mean to have me put a bayonet through that
prisoner? "

Soon the order to advance was given, and the main body
of the regiment moved along the open fields, while Button's
men kept close to the bayou, and Company A gradually bore a
little to the right. After marching something more than a
mile they came to a line of earthworks, around and behind
which the bayou made a sharp bend. Lieut. McFarland was
detailed to inspect them, and found them deserted ; and in the
near vicinity was a bridg'e across which the fugitive riflemen
might have made their escape. In a few moments an enfilad
ing shot came from the left and fell between two men, and was
shortly followed by several more. The source of these missiles
proved to be a Confederate redoubt or fort on the opposite side
of the bayou, partially hidden from view by the trees that
fringed the bank.

Warned by these signals of danger, Col. Thomas retired his
men beyond range of the enemy's guns, at the same time send
ing Adj. Barstow to recall Capt. Button, and Capt. Grout to
bear a like message to Lieut. McFarland. But before they
retreated, Barstow and Button penetrated to the bank of the
bayou, to ascertain if they could whether Gen. Weitzel with his
brigade had also advanced as far on the opposite side. They
neither saw nor heard anything of his forces, and there were
no signs of troops, except a mounted officer and an orderly,
who were silently gazing at them across the stream. At first
it was impossible to tell whether they were friends or foes ; but
soon the officer turned his horse so as to place the sheltering
trunk of a large cypress tree between himself and the two who
watched him ; then Barstow said, " He is a rebel."

The withdrawal of the advance lines seemed to have been
taken by the enemy as a signal that the regiment could not be
decoyed any nearer, and immediately they opened their mounted
guns upon them. But the troops steadily retired out of range

88 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

of the shot and shell, and found near them a large sugar-
house and other buildings, which would afford them some pro
tection. Meanwhile Col. Thomas learned that Gen. Weitzel's
force was a mile below his own on the other side, and also
received orders to hold his position until morning. It was a
post of extreme danger. Just on the other side of the bayou
was a hostile force, whose size they could not estimate, though
beyond a doubt it was many times their own ; and across a
bridge covered by the enemy's guns, this force could be thrown
upon them at any moment. The brigade was bivouacked at
least a mile below, and could not cross the bayou without boats,
while the fleet was still farther away. In a word, no help
could come to them in case of an attack, and it looked very
much as though they were left alone, at the mercy of a foe
who would delight to cut to pieces and destroy them. Indeed,
Gen. Weitzel was well aware of their dangerous situation, and
had been solicitous all day for the safety of his " right bower."
In this perilous situation night and a rough " norther " overtook
the lone regiment, clouds enveloped them in inky darkness,
while a cold, drizzling rain chilled the weary men to the bone.

But Col. Thomas was equal to the occasion. He knew that,
under cover of night, the next best thing to being strongly
reinforced would be to make the enemy believe such was
the case. So he planned an adroit and, as the result proved,
very successful strategy. He caused a line of fires nearly two
miles in extent to be built from the bayou on one side to the
swamp on the other ; and by keeping these ablaze through the
night deceived the rebels into thinking that either he was in
command of a formidable army, or that his numerical strength
had been greatly augmented during the evening.

This imagined army, like the hosts which the wizard Merlin
summoned out of the impalpable air to confront his foes,
appalled the Confederates quite effectually ; and presently the
fact that the deception was complete was announced by a herald
of flame. About eleven o'clock in the evening the dreaded
Cotton came slowly down the Teche, wrapped in a brilliant
sheet of fire, burned to the water's edge, and sank just below

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RETURN OF THE REGIMENT. 89

the rebel fort. Fearing that their strong gun-boat would fall
into the hands of the ghostly army created by the magic of
burning bushes, the enemy had abandoned and set her on fire.
Thus by most unexpected means was the grand end of the
expedition accomplished, and the brigade was ready to return
to camp next morning.

At that time, of course, the apparent result of the strategy
devised by Col. Thomas was assumed to be the true one ; and
it is gratifying, now that years have elapsed, to have the
assumption confirmed by testimony from the enemy's side.
During the years 1878 and 1879, Sergt. Brown, of Company H,
worked with an ex-soldier who was in the Confederate ranks,
and a member of a Louisiana regiment which participated in
the engagement of the Cotton. After the twain had become
well acquainted, they often talked over their army experiences
together ; and one day the ex-Confederate asked Brown how
large a reinforcement the Eighth Vermont received the night
after the charge on the rifle-pits. He could hardly credit the
statement, when Brown told him they were not reinforced at
all, and assured him that the rebel officers in command on the
other side of the bayou were so certain of it, that they burned
the Cotton to prevent it from being captured. Their own force,
he said, included three regiments of infantry, two squadrons of
cavalry, and two batteries ; and their plan was to attack Col.
Thomas that night, if he had not, as they supposed, received
aid.

Early the next morning orders came from Gen. Weitzel for
the regiment to fall back to the first transport, and embark for
Brashear City. He complimented them for their bravery, and
said that, since the Eighth Vermont had done all the fighting,
they should not walk back. But before this welcome message
was received, officers on the lookout from the top of the sugar-
house saw long lines of rebel cavalry advancing toward them
over the ground traversed by McFarland's skirmishers the day
before. Consequently a strong rear guard was maintained
while the regiment retired, setting fire to store-houses filled
with corn and forage supplies as they went.

90 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

The brigade moving on the other side was already far down
the bayou, closely pressed by the enemy ; and the gun-boat
with the gallant Eighth on board would havei>een attacked by
riflemen, had she not backed down, keeping up at the same
time a continuous raking fire on either side, which kept the
foe at a respectful distance.

Accounts of the dash and heroism of the Eighth Vermont
soon found their way into the newspapers all through the loyal
states, and laid the foundation of the enviable fame which the
regiment subsequently achieved, and nobly sustained until the
close of the war. Vermont was proud of her gallant sons, and
their reputation for prowess was firmly established. The story
of that day's service was published also in more permanent
records, and historians of the war paused in their stories to
pay the regiment a well-deserved tribute. Horace Greeley, in
his voluminous work, says, after describing the preliminary
movements :

" By this time the Eighth Vermont had gained the enemy's
rear, and was making a rapid clearance of the rifle-pits, while
the batteries of the First Maine, and the Fourth and Sixth
Massachusetts, supported by sharpshooters from the Seventy-
fifth and One Hundred and Sixtieth New York, had flanked the
defences on the other side, and were sweeping the decks of the
Cotton, whose crew beat a retreat, as did most of the rebels on
land."

Comte de Paris, the French writer on the war of the
Rebellion, says in his history :

" The Eighth Vermont,' being first to land, was to advance
and attack the principal works of the Confederates in the rear.
.... Buchanan, on boardt he Calhoun, didnot permit himself
to be intimidated, and, immovable on the bridge of his vessel,
steered it directly against the enemy's works. A shower of
balls fell around him and he was soon mortally wounded. But
his daring had not been without effect : whilst he was thus oc
cupying the enemy, the Eighth Vermont reached the gorge of
the work, and captured the breastworks by which it was de
fended. The garrison, entirely occupied by the novel combat,

CAMP STEVENS. 91

did not even make an effort to resist this new attack, but dis
persed at once." This statement, though incorrect in some
particulars, pays a glowing tribute to the daring of the men who
saved the day and " did all the fighting."

Where so much was due to individual courage and prudence,
it would be difficult to decide who of Col. Thomas's officers and
men were most deserving of credit. Each in his sphere, from
commander to the last private in the ranks, seemed bent on
doing his duty, and accomplishing the work to which the regi
ment had been assigned. Nothing could exceed the spirited
dash of Capt. Button and his picked sixty, or Lieut. McFarland
and his thirty-five ; but equally brave was Sergeant Howard,
when he leaped ashore from the boat of the Diana, and, running
through a storm of bullets, carried the message to his colonel.
Capt. Grout and Lieut. Spalding were also very efficient, and
Capt Lynde, of Company I, who was acting quartermaster, was
at the front doing duty through the entire day. Adj. Barstow
was in this, as in every engagement where he served, simply
Col. Thomas multiplied, and his care for the men will be grate
fully remembered by every survivor of the regiment. Orderly
Sergt. S. E. Howard, of Company H, who carried the message
from the gun-boats to Col. Thomas, was promoted to second
lieutenant, his commission dating January I3th, 1863, the same
day the expedition started up the bayou.

The regiment returned to Camp Stevens without the loss of
a man, and enjoyed a quiet rest of several weeks, during which
time George O. Ford, of Company K, was promoted to second
lieutenant, his commission being issued Feb. iQth. On the
2/th the camp was menaced by a large force of the enemy,
and compelled to fall back to Bayou Boeuf. The gun-boat
Diana was captured by the Confederates on the 7th of March,
and Adj. J. L. Barstow was commissioned captain of Company
K on the 2ist. On the 2d of April the regiment was ordered
to join the brigade at Brashear City, prior to another expedi
tion up the Teche under Maj. Gen. Banks. On the same day
John M. Pike, of Company G, was commissioned second lieuten
ant, and Second Lieut. John B. Mead was promoted to first

92 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

lieutenant ; on the fifth of the following month these two offi
cers were again promoted, Mead becoming captain, and Pike
first lieutenant. At this time, also, Weitzel'* reserve brigade
was reorganized, and composed of the Eighth Vermont,
Twelfth Connecticut, and Seventy-fifth, One Hundred and
Fourteenth, and One Hundred and Sixtieth New York. From
that time the Eighth Vermont, Twelfth Connecticut, and One
Hundred and Sixtieth New York were destined to serve
together until the close of the war.

Early the following April a half-famished colored man
appeared in camp, and gave the boys what some one very
properly styled a Sunday evening entertainment. An officer
of the regiment gave a long description of it in a letter written
to a friend, and it presents so good a picture of the typical
contraband on first coming within the Union lines, that a
liberal abstract of the epistle is herein transcribed :

" An old negro, dressed in dirty-white, coarse flannel, very
much patched, a coon-skin hat which I should think would
have roasted his black head, and boots run down at the heels
and out at the toes, came into camp about nine o'clock,
[Sunday night] and said that he started at dark on Friday from
Martinsville on the Teche, in a little row-boat, taking with him
a shot-bag full of half dollars rolled up in his blanket. This
money constituted his entire worldly fortune, which he had
been thirty years in accumulating.

"The negro reports that Capt. Fuller, who was wounded on
the Cotton, was at his ' massa's ' house, and told him he should
attack Gen. Weitzel on Sunday or Monday night, by water and
by land. The old slave was so afraid that ' de Yankees' would
be taken by surprise, and beaten, that he set out to give
' Massa Gen'l Wyzle ' warning. He pulled his boat all night,
and at eight o'clock Saturday morning was in Grand Lake,
when he espied Capt. Fuller with two gun-boats and about
twenty-five flat-boats, apparently making ready to transport
troops across the lake.

" Hastily sliding his boat into the weeds where it would not

DICK'S STORY. 93

be discovered, he lay down in the bottom to watch opera
tions. Directly the marines began firing, evidently for prac
tice ; and the old man thus described the manoeuvres : ' One
ob de boats wiv wheels on de side turned roun' middlin' quick,
and fired right smart. Yes, sah ! I could see de hot inn
dey techt off de big guns wiv. But dat odder ole black boat,
wiv de wheel behine, she aint much 'count nohow. No, indeed,
massa, she aint much 'count, kaze it tuck so long to turn 'er
roun.' She fired off one side, and den let on de steam to turn
roun', and she went so slow — chou ! — chou ! — chou ! — 'way
roun' de lake. Oh, golly ! dis ole nigger did larf den, and said
to hisself, "Diclc, guess you git 'way now. When clem Nor-
vuners see dat boat, dey will jes ' shoot 'er all tah pieces, afo'
she c'n turn roun' to shoot off de odder side wonst."

" ' Yes, indeed, Dick seed 'er sure nuff, and looked at her
clus, and cud heah ole Cap'n Fuller cussin' 'n swearin ; oh,
good Massa above ! how he did cus dem men kaze dey cudn'
turn roun' quicker. But he said he was gwin tah play you all
some trick. He 'lowed ez how he wud "drive every d — d
Yankee 'way from heah ;" and he's got a big parcle of men, and
dey is pow'f '1 ugly. Yes, massa, I'm tellin' de trufe. And so
I laid dere till nigh 'bout seben o'clock Saturd'y ebenin', afo'
I cud git 'way, and den I pulled all night agin, and did n't hab
nuffin t' eat But I kep sayin ' : " Go ahead, ole Dick ; tell
'em what ole Fuller is gwin t' do ; and if ye die from bein'
hungry, no mattah, kaze you '11 be doin' some good, and den
you '11 git to heben." So I pulled on. But de lake wuz so big,
and I wuz so fur from shore, dat I cudn' see ez I wuz gittin'
ahead any. But sometimes I passed by a stick in de watah,
and I went by so quick, I knovvd I wuz gwine good.

" ' When it kum mornin' I kep pullin', and when de sun wuz
'bout free hours up ole Dick begun ter git faint ; and he got
skeered dat he cud n't hold out t' git t' whar ye all wuz ; an' he
pulled to de bank, and asked a man fur suffin ter eat. Now
he wuz very cross, and wanted t' know whar I wuz gwin to, an'
I tho't I minte ez well tell him all 'bout it, and den he wuz
right glad, and guv me a letter to bring to ye all, and tole me

94 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

ter hurry, fur God's sake, or I minte be too late ; an' he sed I
must n't stop t' eat, coz it would take up de time, an' I musn't
tell nobody on his place, coz dey wuz all rebels ; and de ladiz,
dey talked hard to me, and sed dey know'd I wuz runnin' 'way
to tell sum news, and sed I otter to be hung, and dey would set
de bloodhounds on me.

" ' But I didn't sed nuffin, but got into my boat and looked
into my blanket, V my shot-bag and money wuz all gone.
And I seed one ob de ladiz hold it up an' larf at me. I know'd
it wudn't be no use t' go back, kaze dey would n't guv it ter me
if I did, an' I did n't car' ef I cud only git ter you all in time.'

" After another long pull, about two hours before sunset,
exhausted and too stiff to stand, Dick came to a ' shell
bank, and seed free men wid guns,' who helped him out of his
boat. After rubbing and stretching his cramped legs awhile,
he says: ' I started wid dem to go 'n' see Cap'n Wyzle. So dey
tuck me to whar all de little white houses wuz, made of
cloff. Oh, my golly ! dis nigger never seed so many houses ;
and den dey tole him dey wuz all full of sol'ers, reel Yankee
sol'ers. Waal now, good Fader abuv ! ef dat ar don' beat all f
Whew ! Ef doze rebels cud see dem tents an' one sol'er in
ebery one, let 'lone all de res', dey would be so skeered — oh,
good gracious ! how dey would run ! — dey would frow 'way all
dere guns and run so fur dey nebber wud stop yit.

" ' Waal, den dey tuck me by a hul lot ob mo' tents, and dere
wuz mo' sol'ers too, yes. I seed 'em all, me, I did. Good
Loddy ! what a swarm ob sol'ers. I went mo 'n free miles
'mung de tents, an all full ob sol'ers. Waal I declar ! My
golly ! massa, ef de cullud fokes cud only see all deze sol'ers,
dey wouldn't stay ter home one mo' night. Dey wud run 'way
right off. Oh, how wicked my ole massa is ! He tole me you
all had n't got but few.ob men, an' dey shud whip ye all, 'n'
kech us agin, ef we went 'way, an' den we shud be killed.
An now, what a lot ob men ! Whew ! whew ! I nebber seed
de like of all dem peoplez.

" ' Den dey tole me dat wuz Bayou Bceuf, an' Cap'n Wyzle
wuz at de bay. An' den de cap'n at the Bceuf tole me to git on

DICK'S STOKV. 95

some kine ob a machine, an' it started ; an' oh, my good Fader
abuv ! how dat machine did go ! dat race hoss beat all de race
hosses dat I eber seed ; an' I sat hol'in' on an' lookin' at de
poles ez dey went by, and whiz ! dey went, an' den I cud n' see
dem. Den I looked at de houses an' de woods, an' 'pears like
all ob dem wuz movin' too. Den I looked at de wheels a goin'
roun' twice ez fast ez lightnin', an' I tell ye, dis nigger tho't de
king'um ob heben was nigh 'bout to han'; and den dey guv
sech a hollerin' 'n' screamin', I tho't Gabr'l had dun blow his
horn, sure 'miff. An' I kep' lookin' at de wheels, an' I sed,
"Now, Dick, jes' you keep clus' watch ob de wheel, an' ef it
cums off, do you jump like a cat, or you 'er a gone nigger."
Yes, indeed, massa, I watch dem clus, kaze I wuz nebber on
sech a race hoss as dat afo' in all my life, me ; an' in less 'n five
minits heah she stopped, an' dey tole me ter jump down 'n' see
de cap'n. An' now is you de reel Cap'n Wyzle ? '

" 'No, Dick,' we said, ' he is Gen. Weitzel.'

" ' Waal, now, I declar'! ' continued the astonished black
man, 'ez shure ez you're born, an' I'm tellin' de trufe an' no lie,
I'm glad ! I tank de Lor' dat he let his 'umble sarvant do sum
good, 'n' git heah 'fo' he fainted clear off ; and bress de good
Fader abuv dat he s'stain his poor nigger in dat tryin' hour,
an' d'liber him out ob de han' ob de debble, an' let him cum
'mung de good peoplez.

"'Oh, gemmuns, I c'n tell ye now, all de cullud men, ebb'ry
one, wants ye to hurry up, an' go frew de hul country. Dey
is waitin' fur ye, an' in ebb'ry plantation sum ob de niggers is
alwuz settin' up o' nights t' heah yer fust gun, 'n' be ready ter
run ter meet ye, an' tew tell ye whar all de tings is at, an' tew
bring ye all de tings we haz raised on our own little garding
patches.'

" The half-starved fugitive had been supplied with soft bread
and coffee, and eagerly munched away on it while giving vent
to his astonishment. Presently he began to notice what kind
of food he was eating, and broke forth, in his comical style :
'Why, massa, ole Dick haint tasted ob de likes ob dat fur gwin
on two yeahs now. No, indeed ! All de flour our ole massa

96 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

hez had since de wah begun wuz harf a bar'l, a yeah 'go las'
Chris'mus. Dey brings flour and- t'barcy from Texas, V
coffee ; but it tucks free hogsits ob sugar te*v buy one bar'l ob
flour.' "

IV.

BISLAND.

THE stubborn resistance during the battle of the Cotton
showed the strength of the enemy, and that a large and power
ful force guarded the entrance of the Teche country. It was
well fortified at Bisland or Bethel Place, as it was often called,
where, beyond a doubt, Gen. Taylor was prepared to make a
resolute defence of his works. On this point, therefore, Gen.
Banks decided to concentrate his attack. He arrived on the
iith of April, to command the expedition in person, bringing
with him reinforcements from New Orleans.

Meanwhile Weitzel's brigade had crossed the bay, and, as
soon as plans were matured and orders received, moved in the
direction of Pattersonville, the Eighth Vermont, as usual, taking
the advance. Gen. Grover's division had also been sent by way
of Grand Lake, to gain a position above Bisland, and thus cut
off the enemy's retreat ; and when the attack was begun, the
gun-boats were to co-operate on the water side.

The advance was begun at noon, and Capt. Button with
Company H, being deployed as skirmishers, soon found the
enemy's pickets and drove them in. Occasionally a cannon
shot would strike the ground in the vicinity of the moving
lines, and Capt. Bainbridge would return the salute with one of
his battery guns. But the enemy did not appear in force, and
at night the troops bivouacked in line of battle, a short distance
above Pattersonville.

98 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

There was no disturbance during the night, and on the
following Sunday morning the march was resumed. The lines
moved cautiously, and Company K, under Cfipt. Barstow, being
deployed as skirmishers, had some sharp encounters with the
enemy. Until mid-afternoon nothing occurred to interrupt the
measured tramp of men and horses, and save the rattle of equip
ments and the low word of command, there was nothing to
break the silence of the march. It was a lovely Sunday, and
the eye of the imaginative soldier was free to wander over the
slowly changing landscape and take in all its varied beauty.
The way was flanked on either hand by forests of heavy timber,
whose lively foliage made a striking contrast with the masses of
gray moss that hung like ghostly raiment from the branches.
Rich plantations with large hospitable looking mansions divided
the open country, reminding one of the homes where for gener
ations the proud old southern families had dwelt in luxuriant
ease. Passing close to one of these houses about noon, the
soldiers discovered that it had just been deserted by the
inmates, who in their hasty flight had left a nice hot dinner
smoking on the board. The path of a cannon-shot was traced
directly across the room where the family had probably assem
bled to dine, which offered a plausible reason for their absence.
So the boys, thinking it a pity to let a good dinner spoil, fell
ou£ and took it in.

At three o'clock the lines moved still more carefully, for they
were nearing the Confederate works, and the batteries close at
hand stopped to shell every suspicious point. For a few mo
ments a hush seemed to fall upon the air, and it filled every heart
with apprehension, for the men understood what it meant.
Then came a sudden belching of smoke at the not far distant
front, a vivid flash was^seen, a solid shot struck the ground a few
yards ahead of the regiment, and with a horrible shriek passed
overhead. This was only a signal, but the next moment the
entire batteries of the enemy opened with a murderous fire, in
order to throw the advancing column into confusion.

It was a trying ordeal for the Green Mountain boys. The
air was full of deadly missiles of every description, — shells, solid

STANDING UNDER FIRE. 99

shot, grape, and even pieces of railroad iron ; and the earth was
plowed in every direction as the huge projectiles buried them
selves in the ground, throwing the dust and dirt over the men.
Col. Thomas was equal to the occasion. Coolly he rode in
front of the line, imparting courage to the timid and inspiration
to all, and cried out : " Steady, men ! Stand firm ! Remember
old Vermont is looking at you to-day ! We Ve been in the field
a long while, boys, and this is the first time we have had a
chance to begin the work we were sent out here to do ! Steady,
old Vermont ! " A few moments later, seeing some of the men
quailing before the iron hail, he called out: "Vermont is looking
at you ! " when a witty fellow replied : "Hope Vermont won't
see us in such a scrape again." This raised a laugh along the
line, and helped, more than the sternest command would have
done, to keep the boys in countenance. At another point
where some white faces showed the need of a little more grit,,
the colonel passed, just as a shot plowed into the earth and
then went howling over their heads. " This reminds me of
sowing marrowfat peas up in old Vermont," said he. His humor
was magnetic, and the responsive shout seemed to cheer the
boys wonderfully.

After the gallant Eighth had been under fire for a short time,
Capt. Bainbridge came galloping up on their right with his
battery, he riding alongside the foremost gun, dressed in spick
and span uniform, and lashing the horses with his rawhide, as
though life depended on every leap they made. The gun
wheeled into position, plowing up the earth in its rapid circuit,
and in a moment the keen-eyed captain was out of his saddle,
sighting the piece for the first discharge. Quickly each gun
took position and opened fire upon the rebel works, which could
then be seen in the distance, and the Eighth Regiment was
ordered to advance to the front as a support to Bainbridge.

Compliance with this order subjected the regiment to what
is doubtless one of the severest tests to which troops are ever
brought in time of battle. It requires nerve at any time to
charge under fire and do valiant execution, but action inspires
the moving lines with courage. It is quite another thing to

IOO THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

face, unprotected, the murderous hail, and there stand hour
after hour, and silently wait ; for there is nothing to blind the
eyes to danger or sustain the sinking spirit. •To such a terrible
test the brave sons of Ethan Allen proved equal, and, led into
position by a commander in whom they trusted, they stood like
a rock till darkness put an end to the battle. Nor was their
confidence misplaced. Col. Thomas, whose courage knew no
law but obedience to orders, was a father to all the men whose
lives he might almost be said to hold in his hand. He felt the
danger, not for himself, but for them, and to cheer and support
them through those trying hours, kept at the front alone,
mounted on his horse, a conspicuous mark for artillerists, and
encouraged them by his own unflinching bravery.

Twice during the heavy cannonading Gen. Weitzel sent Lieut.
Smith of his staff to warn the colonel that he was exposing him
self unduly, and begging him to dismount out of regard for his
own personal safety. The reply of the great-hearted officer was :
" Col. Thomas sends his compliments to Gen. Weitzel, and begs
to inform him that he didn't come down here to get off his
horse for any d — d rebel. " Could any member of the Eighth
Vermont misunderstand the meaning of their leader, or fail to
be brave under the eye of such an officer ? Presently, while
scanning the ground in front, the colonel saw a ditch, into which
he ordered the regiment to advance, and thus gain a partial pro
tection from the deadly shots.

The first man wounded that afternoon was Corporal Wm. W.
Perry, of Brookline. Acting Quartermaster Howard, who was
an eye-witness, says : " A shell burst over our heads, and I saw
a piece of it descend with a queer fluttering sound, and strike
Perry on the top of the head. He dropped all in a heap, and I
supposed was killed, but on going to him I found him alive, and
got Myron L. Boynton, of Jamaica, and another member of the
band, to carry him off. He recovered, and still lives in Brook-
line."

About the same time Jonathan Durlam, of Company K, had
his leg shattered below the knee by a piece of shell, and, though
it was amputated by the surgeons, he died a few weeks later from

A .VOTE FROM THE BAND. IOI

the effects. He made a great outcry, and Capt. Barstow exam
ined him, but could find no blood or scratch upon him, and jok
ingly told him he was a lucky man and would be pensioned
for life. But Durlam continued to groan and appeared to be
in great agony, so the captain shouted to Maj. Dillingham to
know where the musicians, and quartermaster, and the stretch
ers were. "The men," he said, "were being mowed down, and
no provision was made for their care." Col. Thomas, who over
heard the call, wanted to know what the quartermaster was
wanted for. Capt. Barstow replied that the army regulations
said that the musicians, in charge of the quartermaster, should
carry off the wounded. "That's so," said Maj. Dillingham,
and a messenger was quickly dispatched to the rear. Soon a
band man responded, and " a greater exhibition of moving
fright I never saw," said the captain.

" Where is your stretcher ? " asked Barstow.

" What 's a stretcher ? " asked the trembling tooter.

" Did n't the surgeon give you any stretcher for bringing off
the dead ?" asked the officer.

" I do n't know nothing about your stretcher," gasped the
band man.

" Never come on to the field again without a stretcher," said
Col. Thomas sternly, and the man grew paler than ever, and
stammered out :

"What do you want of me now?"

Finally the captain ordered him to tear some cypress slabs
from a fence, and showed him how to improvise a litter, on
which the wounded man was placed, when a "second note of
the band" arrived on the scene. But it required four men to
bear away the burden.

"Who will go back with this man ? " asked Captain Barstow.

Nearly every man in an adjacent company sprang to his feet
and signified a hearty willingness to go to the rear. But the
captain sternly told them that Company K could take care of
their own wounded.

As has already been intimated, the fighting continued with
unabated energy until the gathering darkness compelled a ces-

102 THE EIGHTH VERMOATT.

sation of hostilities, and the troops fell back out of range of the
enemy's guns, and slept on their arms.

After the regiment had fallen back an incident occurred that
is well worth mentioning. The Seventy-fifth New York was
within supporting distance of the Eighth Vermont, and when
the troops retired, Adjutant Lansing of that regiment and two
privates were left wounded on the field. A Confederate surgeon
with an ambulance and driver came out and picked them up.
Then the surgeon clambered into the rear of the wagon, and
was about to start for the enemy's lines with his prisoners,
when Adjutant Lansing drew a revolver, covered the surgeon
with it, and ordered the negro to drive to the Federal lines
instead.

Early Monday morning the gun-boats opened a heavy fire
upon the Confederate works, and Capt. Bainbridge, supported
by the Eighth Vermont, advanced to a position nearer the ene
my's line than that occupied the previous day, and resumed the
cannonading. The regiment in front found themselves within
reach of the Confederate infantry, and no sooner were they in
position than a volley of musket balls came whizzing over their
heads. To protect his men as much as possible, Col. Thomas
ordered them to lie flat upon the ground, close behind some
bushes. It was well that this precaution was taken, for the
enemy soon aimed so low and fired so fast that their bullets cut
off the bushes and scattered them among the prostrate men.
During the entire day the regiment lay on the ground, while
cannon thundered in front and rear, and projectiles of every de
scription went screaming over their heads. Two or three dif
ferent times they were ordered to form in line for a 'charge
upon the works, but as soon as they were upon their feet
so deadly a fire was turned upon them that the attempt was
abandoned.

After the first excitement had subsided, and the men began
to get used to their uncomfortable position, those who were
cool enough to enjoy it found opportunity to make a very inter
esting study of projectiles. Lying there on the earth they

THE REBEL YELL. . 103

could watch on a grand scale the graceful curves described by
shot and shell in their swift aerial passage, and criticise to their
hearts' content the display of the gunner's skill. Their ears
soon learned to distinguish the peculiar sound made by different
kinds of missiles, and they were enabled to make some approxi
mate estimates as to the number of balls that miscarried where
one did execution. They learned, too, that, even under such
trying circumstances, a man may base his chances of life on the
fact that, in a battle, so many balls are wasted that a soldier
cannot be killed until the enemy has discharged at him a weight
of l§ad equal to his own. And better than all else, they learned,
perhaps, a valuable lesson of obedience and self-control, and
beheld a new vision of devoted patriotism, as they saw their
leader sit calmly by them on his horse, watching over them, as
a tender father might guard his children in an hour of peril.

One attempt only was made by the enemy to break Gen.
Weitzel's lines. About three o'clock in the afternoon the
Union troops were startled by that most hideous of modern war
cries, known as the " rebel yell. " It sounded from the covert
of heavy timber on the left, and the officers at once understood
that "Dick" Taylor was about to charge upon the left flank.
This was the first time the Vermont boys had heard that fiend
ish sound, and it is not too much to say that they were appalled
by it for a moment, and thought their time had come to be
"wiped out." But Weitzel, anticipating this attempt, had
ordered the Twelfth Connecticut and the One Hundred and
Fourteenth New York to throw their combined force into the
timber ; and, after a sharp encounter, the rebels who charged
with a yell, retreated in confusion and precipitate haste to the
cover of their works.

During that day's fight there were some artillery shots made
that deserve special mention. As he was watching the manoeu
vres of the enemy, Col. Thomas saw a section of a rebel battery
moving from the right to the left, and said to Capt. Bainbridge,
who was remarkably skilful as a gunner : " Captain, can't you
give 'em a shot?" "I will try," answered Bainbridge; and
quickly sighting a piece, he threw a shell with such accuracy

104 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

that when it burst, horses, riders, and gun were wiped out of
view ; and, as if to make sure that the shot was fatal, the three
dead horses were found near that spot when* the Union army
entered the works on the following day.

As one means of defence the enemy made use of the gun-boat
Diana, which they had recently captured from the Union navy.
It contained a heavy bow-gun, with which they were doing
great damage. On seeing this, Col. McMillan, of the Twenty-
first Indiana, which had been converted into heavy artillery,
sighted one of his pieces with such precision that a thirty-two
pound shot went crashing through the vessel nearly her entire
length, and so deranged her machinery that she was disabled,
and sent up the bayou.

Considering the exposed position in which the Eighth Regi
ment lay for two days, it is remarkable that only one man,
Adolphus Blanchard, of Company G, was killed, and only a few
were wounded. William Carley, of Company E, and John W.
McCauley, of Company F, were among the latter. But several
officers and privates had very narrow escapes. Col. Thomas
saw a shot coming towards him, as he was sitting on his horse,
and it just brushed past his ear. A piece of shell, or a bullet,
cut off Lieut. Col. Dillingham's collar button, and left a red
mark on his throat. A young private in Company C, named
Danforth, was very uneasy while the regiment lay prostrate in
front of the batteries, and kept jumping up to look at the
enemy. Several times Col. Thomas ordered him back to his
place ; but soon he jumped up again, and instantly a cannon
shot struck the very spdt he had just left and buried itself in
the ground. " Down there, again, as quick as you can ! "
thundered the stern voice of the colonel. " If you had been
where you belong, you would have been cut in two. But light
ning never strikes twice in the same place, and now you will
be safe."

Night came on again without bringing a decided victory to
either side, and the Union troops bivouacked in line of battle,
expecting on the following day to resume the artillery fire, or
charge the works in a general assault. But in the morning it

FLIGHT OF THE ENEMY. 10$

was discovered that the wily " Dick " Taylor had evacuated
Bisland with his entire army, and under cover of darkness had
made good his retreat in the direction of Franklin.

The plan of Gen. Banks was to have Grover's division cut off
the enemy's escape ; but, owing to difficulty in landing his
troops, that officer failed to accomplish his purpose. But one
course remained, therefore, and, without stopping for morning
rations to be served, Gen. Weitzel formed his brigade in march
ing order, with the Eighth Vermont in advance, and Company
H, commanded by Capt. Button, as skirmishers, and pursued
the flying army. Hovering close upon their rear, a number of
prisoners were taken during the day, and the fugitive army was
driven beyond Franklin.

Since the date of the Bisland engagement, the singular fact
has come to light that Gen. Taylor, utterly ignorant of the
movements of Gen. Banks, had planned to march his army to
Brashear City and attack the Union forces, on the very same
day that Banks opened his guns on Bisland. Consequently, if
this attack had been postponed even for twenty-four hours, the
Confederates would have taken the offensive.

There was more or less skirmishing during the day, chiefly
by the cavalry, but the troops moved rapidly forward without
serious resistance. In this way the army followed the enemy
for several days, marching an average of twenty-five miles each
day, through a rich, high country in marked contrast with the
low lands of southern Louisiana, which the men had recently
abandoned. On reaching Franklin the army rested a few hours,
and while there " Old Joe," a colored man whom all will recol
lect, was seen near some bushes with a musket pointed at
some concealed object. "Come out dar ! " shouted Old Joe,
" come out dar, or I '11 fire !" At his command two Confederate
soldiers emerged from the covert of bushes, and surrendered
themselves as prisoners. Then the march was resumed through
New Iberia and thence to Vermillionville, where the Confed
erates made a stand and slight resistance. This caused the brig
ade to form in line of battle, and prepare for attack ; but again
the enemy deemed discretion the better part of valor, and fled,.

106 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

closely followed by their pursuers ; and the rapid march was
again resumed till the brigade reached Opelousas on the 2Oth
of April. Here they went into camp for a few days to recu
perate, and were reviewed by Gen. Banks and staff. The
quarters here formed a striking contrast with those to which
the regiment had been previously assigned, and the men exer
cised their taste in adorning the camp with evergreen arches,
and making it attractive. But the officers, who occupied head
quarters in the yard of the Mansion House, will not forget the
hideous matutinal salute of scores of neighborly peacocks that
roosted in the trees in the vicinity.

By this vigorous movement the Teche country, which had
been so long closed to the Union soldiers, was opened, and they
enjoyed for a while the luxury of "living off the country" that
abounded in fresh vegetables and good beef and chickens, with
which the cooks delighted to furnish forth the daily rations.
And since the Teche is called the garden of Louisiana, the
reader will pardon a digression, and be pleased to read a quota
tion from Gen. "Dick" Taylor's book on the war, wherein he
writes : " In all my wanderings, and they have been many and
wide, I cannot recall so fair, so beautiful, so happy a land."

During the halt at Opelousas, Capt. Craig, of Company G,
died of disease. He had left a lucrative law practice in Vermont
to enter the service of his country. As an officer he was a
thorough disciplinarian, always looking out for the comfort and
rights of his men. In this campaign he suffered from illness,
but pluckily kept on with his company through all the hard
ships and exposures of ' the rapid march to this place. But
nature refused to do more, and, far away from the friends and
places he loved, he passed away ; and his comrades tenderly
laid him to rest in the cemetery near the old church in Opelousas.

ALEXANDRIA.

After a sojourn of two weeks, the line was again formed, and
the brigade began to move at three o'clock on the afternoon of

A u VERMONT CAVALRY" RACE. IO?

May 5th. Being in good condition, the troops marched all that
night and the day following, and the second night bivouacked
in line of battle. Nothing of special interest occurred until the
army neared Alexandria. Company C, Capt. Foster, were
thrown out as skirmishers on the last day of that severe march.
The weather was hot and the roads extremely dusty, so that
many of the men fell out by the way from sheer exhaustion, and
were obliged to get into the ambulances and mule carts that
had been taken from the plantations en route. But Gen. Banks
was anxious to reach Alexandria that evening, and, desiring to
humor him and create a little excitement, the Seventy-fifth
New York, which followed next to the Eighth Vermont, chal
lenged the latter to a race. " Vermont Cavalry" were quite
willing to give their neighbors a lesson in endurance, and the
two regiments started off at a lively rate, the Eighth leading
with long, quick strides, encouraged by lively music of the
band, snatches of "John Brown," and other familiar war songs,
and cheers from the line officers. To further stimulate the
men, a field officer would occasionally dismount and give some
tired private rest and a ride in his saddle, and the surgeons
would allow a faint man a "pull from the dark bottle."

Gen. Weitzel, deeming it essential to their health that the
brigade should be served a ration of whiskey on reaching camp,
ordered his commissary, Fred E. Smith, to go forward to the
city with the advance, and secure the needed stimulant wher
ever he could find it. Accordingly, about nine o'clock in the
evening Lieut. Smith returned with three barrels of whiskey,
which he took from a hotel in Alexandria. At this house also
the quartermaster's party obtained a lunch, in payment for
which greenbacks were offered. But the landlord refused them,
and demanded Confederate money ; this demand was not com
plied with, however, and Lieut. Smith is not sure but he is still
indebted for his first meal in Alexandria.

In this way ended the wearisome march to Alexandria ; and
when the Eighth Vermont, still leading the brigade, reached
the outskirts of the city, and turned into a field where they were
to halt for the night, it was found that they had covered a dis-

108 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

tance of ninety-one miles. As soon as the line was dismissed
the men dropped on the ground, and were so much exhausted
that the usual roll-call was omitted, and tlTey went to sleep
without any supper. The next day the brigade marched through
the city, and went into camp in a pleasant grove on the river
bank, just above the point where the Federal gun-boats lay
silent in the stream.

The surprise occasioned by the sudden entry of Union forces
into Alexandria was something ludicrous. The citizens sup
posed that " Dick " Taylor held sole possession of all the ap
proaches to the town, and thought indeed that no detested
Yankees had penetrated within many miles of their peaceful
abode, or could do so. When, therefore, Weitzel's advance
cavalry came galloping into the streets, and the Federal gun
boats came puffing up the river, the people were filled with
utter consternation, and everybody who cherished secession
sentiments, and those who felt that their reputation for loyalty
was not firmly established, fled in the most precipitous haste.
Traders deserted their stores, mechanics their shops, and
citizens generally their houses. It was a genuine scare, and
one of the most comical evidences of it was found by some
Union soldiers who entered a newspaper office, from which both
editor and printers had made a rapid stampede. The compos
itors had dropped their partly-filled sticks on the case and fled,
and one of them which was examined, contained the following
unfinished paragraph : " News has been received that Bisland
has been evacuated, and ' Dick ' Taylor is inarching towards
Alexandria. It is evident that Gen. Banks is a very different
man from " —

While resting here the camp was startled one morning by
the report of a gun and a shriek from some one in Company B,
and it was found that a soldier, while laboring" under temporary
insanity, had fatally shot Wagoner Hill, who died a few hours
later. The mail that shortly arrived from New Orleans, also
brought the sad intelligence that Capt. J. S. Clark, of Com
pany K, had died in the hospital.

A meeting of the officers of the Eighth Vermont was called

MEMORIAL TRIBUTES. 109

in consequence of this death, and organized with Capt.
Edward Hall, chairman, and Lieut. George N. Carpenter, sec
retary. Capt. H. F. Button, Capt. J. L. Barstow, and Lieut.
J. B. Mead, were chosen a committee to report resolutions of
sorrow for the death of Capt. Craig and Capt. Clark, and to
tender the condolence and sympathy of the regiment to the
bereaved families of the late officers.

It is due to the memory of Capt. Clark to record that his
death was felt to be a great loss to his regiment and company.
He was a thorough gentleman of quiet disposition, who had
been led to enter the service by a high sense of patriotism and
duty. During his limited experience in the field he had ex
hibited a coolness and bravery that won admiration and gave
promise of a brilliant military career, and he was sincerely
mourned by his brother officers.

Learning that this history was to be written, Mr. John C.
Clark, of St. Johnsbury, Vt., son of Capt. J. S. Clark, trans
mitted to the committee of publication a letter from Col. F. H.
Hatch to his mother, a copy of which is printed below. Con
cerning the writer, Mr. Clark says : " Qol. Hatch was a thorough
gentleman and a conscientious Christian, and one, doubtless,

who took the stand he did from the purest motives

Years after the close of the war it transpired that Col. Hatch
was a native of our state, having been born at Reading, in Wind
sor county, within a stone's throw of my mother's childhood
home* He went South when thirteen years old, and was em
ployed as a stable-boy in New Orleans. When the war broke
out he was collector of the port of New Orleans, and one of the

worthiest men of that city I inclose also a copy of the

record in the Bible mentioned by Col. Hatch."

The reader will recall the fact that Mrs. Hatch, whose sad fate
is alluded to in her husband's letter, is the same lady who
assisted Mrs. Sparks in taking care of Capt. S. E. Howard, when
he lay sick at Company Canal. The record referred to reads

thus :

REFUGE, NEW ORLEANS, March 22, 1863.

Dark Days. Seven years ago to-day this precious book was given me
by my friend J. R. J., Magnolia, La.

1 10 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Yesterday, March 21, my friend Capt. J. S. Clark was buried in our
vault in Girod Cemetery, N. O. One of the bravest, noblest, and best of

men. May our last end be like his.

• •

REFUGE, OPPOSITE NEW ORLEANS, June 30!, 1866.
MRS. J. S. CLARK :

Madam : In overhauling and adjusting my library, which was restored
to me in a scattered and confused condition, I found the accompanying
Bible, containing a record of the death and entombment of Capt. Clark,
and a feeling tribute to his memory.

It was presented to Mrs. Hatch some years since by a Mr. J. R.
Jackson, a planter of this state, and a pious and worthy friend, and I send
it to you with the presentation memorandum inclosed, precisely as I found
it, thinking it would be a pleasing memento of the worth and excellence of
your late husband, calculated to inspire in the minds of his children a rev
erence for his character, and to stimulate an emulation of his-virtues.

It will perhaps be the more prized as emanating from one who stood
in a relatively antagonistic position to him, and who lost her own life by a
sincere devotion to a cause opposed to that in which Capt. Clark was as
honestly engaged ; and it is a sad commentary on the evils of civil strife to
reflect that she, whose ear was never deaf to the calls of affection, and
whose 'hand was ever ready to do the biddings of her benevolent nature
toward friend or foe, in the hour of distress, should have been rudely
thrust, in a state of extreme debility, from that home from which she had
so freely dispensed those ministrations of mercy. This act of cruelty, at
the very close of the war, cost her her reason and her life.

We can therefore mutually deprecate those evils which have bereft us
of half the joy and solace of our earthly life, and cast a lasting shadow
over the remnant which remains to us.

Now that .Mrs. Hatch has deceased, in order that your mind may be
at perfect ease in relation to the remains of Capt. Clark, I will add, 'that I
had purchased a tomb for her in another cemetery near to my present resi
dence, and that that in which Capt. Clark was entombed, will remain
undisturbed, without any inconvenience or embarrassment to myself.

Hoping the memento will be acceptable, I am, madam,

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
F. H. HATCH.

In a few days it was reported that Gen. Taylor still had a
considerable force with him beyond Alexandria, and Gen.
Banks ordered Weitzel's division to move on his track May
nth ; but, after marching about thirty-five miles into the pine
woods, it was found that the enemy was retreating so rapidly

ON TO PORT HUDSON. Ill

that it would be impossible to overtake them, and the brigade
returned into camp two days later.

The campaign had resulted in scattering Taylor's forces, and
so far demoralizing them that it was several weeks before he
could collect them again, while the enemy had been reduced
by the capture of over two thousand prisoners, twenty-two
cannon, and two steamers, and the destruction of eight Con
federate gun-boats and steamers.

The army remained at Alexandria until the i/th instant,
when it again started on the march, and reached Simsport on
the 24th. There the sick were transferred to boats, to be taken
to New Orleans, and the men were relieved of all superflu
ous baggage, preparatory to the work awaiting them. And at
length the news came that it was to go to Port Hudson, and
unite with the forces at Baton Rouge in the reduction of
that stronghold.

PORT HUDSON.

AT Simsport Gen. Weitzel's brigade was taken on transports
and conveyed by way of the Atchafalaya and Red rivers to
Bayou Sara on the Mississippi, while Quartermaster Smith went
by land with the trains. The troops landed about midnight of
May 25th, and at two o'clock next morning set out for the des
tined scene of their next operations, about five miles down the
river. Nor was the movement begun a moment too soon, for
while on the way, word was brought to hurry forward with all
speed, for it was feared that the Confederate garrison might
attempt to evacuate the place and escape. So, quickening their
march, the troops soon went into position in line of battle, on
the right, near Foster creek.

The ultimate object of the well-planned campaign undertaken
by Maj. Gen. Banks was the removal of impediments and open
ing the Mississippi for the safe passage of Union vessels.
These operations began with the crossing of Berwick bay on
the Qth of April, and were to culminate in the reduction of
Port Hudson. To accomplish this end he was to co-operate
with Gen. Grant, who at the same time was slowly advancing
on Vicksburg.

It is not necessary here to go into the details of the prelimi
nary steps in this plan, or to ask why Gen. Banks delayed so
long decisive action. It is enough to remind the reader that
Gen. "Dick" Taylor had a strong force in the Teche ready to
fall upon New Orleans, if the troops that held it were with-

THE FORTIFICATIONS. 113

drawn for service higher up the river. So many troops were,
therefore, required to hold what had already been gained, that
Banks was unable to invest Port Hudson with an adequate
army, until he should first scatter Taylor's forces, or drive
them so far into the interior that New Orleans would be safe
from immediate capture. So far as the Eighth Vermont were
concerned, their experience since leaving Algiers had been of
great practical advantage in preparing them for the work
before them ; for they had acquired valuable discipline, and the
successes they had achieved inspired them with courage and
faith, so that they joined in that important conflict confident of
victory.

The situation of Port Hudson was favorable for defensive
action both by land and by water. It occupied the summit of
a cliff on the east bank of the Mississippi, forming almost a
semi-circle about a bend in the river. Long stretches of
broken ground, with hills, woods, and ravines, made it difficult
of access from the surrounding country. During an interval
of several months the enemy had constructed around the place
a series of works of remarkable strength. A heavy, well-
mounted battery commanded the bluff on the water side, at an
elevation of about eighty feet above the river. A continuous
line of parapet with an abatis encircled the place, from Ross's
Landing, about a mile below the fort, to the water's edge on
the northern side. Every adjacent hill was a redoubt. Heavy
artillery raked the ravines and open spaces. Bristling guns
covered all approaches. The outworks were well planned to
delay an attacking army and impede progress ; and when the
forces of Gen. Banks went into position on the twenty-sixth,
the commanding officers knew that a severe struggle must take
place before the Union flag would float above the garrison.

In the investment of this stronghold Gen, Weitzel's division
occupied the right, Generals Augur and Grover the centre, and
Gen. T. W. Sherman the left, while Farragut's fleet engaged
the batteries in the river. The plan was fully outlined to the
commanders of brigades, regiments, and batteries, the night
before the assault began, and Gen. Banks ordered the attack to
8

114 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

open simultaneously all along the lines. In the engagement
Col. Thomas commanded Weitzel's brigade, consisting of the
Eighth Vermont, Twelfth Connecticut, and the One Hundred
and Fourteenth and One Hundred and Sixtieth New York ;
while Lieut. Col, Dillingham commanded his regiment. It was
also of special advantage that these troops had served together
for a long time under Col. Thomas, and had confidence in
each other as well as in their leader.

THE FIRST ASSAULT.

In accordance with orders, the fleet in the river opened with
cheir guns on the morning of the 2/th of May, and rained shot
and shell upon the garrison ; the land batteries began firing
with great spirit and determination ; and the ground fairly
shook, while the air echoed with the noise of battle. Weitzel's
division at once moved into action, and at the onset Thomas's
brigade was the third line of battle. The first line advanced
and found the enemy as soon as they entered the woods, and
the musketry fire became heavy and incessant. Progress was
slow, owing to the obstructions in the way, and, being com
pletely exposed to a raking fire, the men in the foremost lines
fell rapidly ; and while trying to force the enemy from the outer
positions they were so badly broken that Gen. Weitzel ordered
Thomas to charge with his brigade. His men responded
nobly, led by the gallant colonel on foot, for orders had been
given to the field and staff officers to leave their horses in the
rear. In a few moments they passed the broken lines of the
other brigades, fell upon the enemy with a rush, drove them
from their position, captured many of them, and hurried the
rest from point to point, until they were sent back in disorder
behind their main fortifications.

When Col. Thomas halted his line after his brilliant sally,
they found themselves within fifty or seventy-five yards of the
main earthworks, and .exposed to a murderous fire which the
Confederates instantly opened upon them. To remain there or
attempt to scale the works was wholesale butchery, and, not

PORT
HUDSON.

A BRAVE ASSAULT. 11$

having orders to thus sacrifice his men, Thomas fell back to
the cover of a ravine, and reported to Gen. Weitzel what he
had done. Word came back to hold his position if possible ;
and, had the plan of attack been strictly followed throughout
the lines, it is believed that Col. Thomas might have advanced
again, and Port Hudson would have fallen that day. But the
attack in the centre and on the left was not begun in earnest
until the afternoon, and the enemy, seeing that the charge on
the right had failed, were able to throw their entire force
against Sherman and Augur. In this brave attack the forces
of Gen. Weitzel lost heavily, and, when the lack of co-operation
became apparent, it is said that he sent word to Gen. Banks
that he had "yet to learn that any other general had co-operated
in the assault, which was ordered to be simultaneous." Be that
as it may, nothing can detract from the credit due Col. Thomas
and his gallant brigade on that eventful day ; and let it be
recorded that they took up and sustained the charge at a crit
ical moment, led by the colonel in front of his troops. Among
his losses were numbered two valuable staff officers : Capt
Hubbard, assistant adjutant general, and Lieut. Wrotnouski,
were killed during the halt under the main earthworks. Both
were held in high esteem by their fellow officers and the men
under their immediate commands.

The total loss throughout the lines on May 2/th, in killed,
wounded, and missing, was nearly two thousand men.
Thomas's brigade suffered considerably, and the Eighth Ver
mont lost eighty-eight, including the wounded and killed.
Those killed were : in Company A, Joseph O. Kimball, Zolvey
Sargeant ; in Company C, David N. George ; in Company D,
Henry Butterfield, Jr. ; in Company E, George E. Wedgewood ;
in Company F, Edward Ducharme, Peter Henchey ; in Com
pany G, George W. Battles, Dennis Ryan ; in Company H,
Charles Bartlett, Wilbur. F. Bowker. June nth, .Porter J.
Whitney, Company I.

A great amount of time and labor have been expended to
make the list of wounded on this date and the I4th of June as
complete as possible, but after consulting every available source

II 6 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

of information both lists are but partially filled. So far as
obtained the names are : Col. Stephen Thomas, scalp wound on
left temple ; in Company A, Wm. W. Kinsley, Moses Larue,
John B. Chayer, C. W. Boynton ; in Company«B, Corp. H. H.
Holt, T. W. Page ; in Company C, Capt. H. E. Foster, H. K.
Page, J. Colcott, C. Collins, H. G. Perigo, C. A. Newman, A.
J. Keith, H. W. Prisby (whose hurt proved fatal) ; in Com
pany D, Sergt. Nathaniel Robie, Mason B. Jenkins, Asa S.
Emery ; in Company E, F. Y. Snow, George Maxham, Julius
McMurphy ; in Company G, Lieut. James Welch, Lyman B.
Evans, Paschal Bissonett, Daniel W. Eaton, Chas. W. Battles ;
in Company H, Sergt. W. H. Smith, Geo. R. Harrington,
Cyrus M. White, Amos L. Jenkins, Samuel S. Childs, James
Frascovia ; in Company I, Geo. J. Bishop, Henry G. Baldwin;
in Company K, D. D. Fairbanks, W. H. Silsby, Charles
Drown. May 2Qth, Con Carmody, Company G, was wounded,
and died in consequence July 23d ; June 1 2th, Lewis Amel,
Company E, and Eben Pond, Company K.

After the death of Capt. Hubbard, Capt. John L. Barstow,
of Company K, was detailed as acting adjutant general of the
brigade.

June 5th, David C. Bell, of Company G, was discharged to
accept a position as contract surgeon.

To fully appreciate the splendid behavior of the Vermont
troops in this first assault on Port Hudson, it must not be for
gotten that the failure of the other generals to join promptly in
the attack left the enemy free to concentrate all their fire upon
Weitzel. But into this storm of death Col. Thomas did not
send his men alone — he led them as was his wont, and
exposed his own person where the shots were thickest. His
words of encouragement sounded in their ears as they paused
under the very walls of the stronghold after the fearful charge
was made ; and still keeping in th'eir front, Thomas gave the
notable order for every man to cease promiscuous firing, and
act as a sharpshooter.

Before the order was given to charge a singular incident oc-

Forbes Co.

CAPT. HENRY E. FOSTER, Co. C,

IN THE TRENCHES. 1 1/

curred. Charles E. Hardy and Levi Skinner, of Company Cr
saw two rebel soldiers about a hundred yards away, in the act
of loading their muskets. Taking deliberate aim, the Ver
mont boys fired upon them, and a few moments later saw them
lying dead as the lines swept on to the attack.

After the failure of the first charge, Gen. Banks abandoned
for a time any further attempt to carry the enemy's works by
assault, and set about the preparations for a protracted siege.
On the night of the battle he ordered the troops to throw up
entrenchments, and hold their positions at all hazards.

Or! the following day there was an armistice of a few hours,
in order that the dead might be buried and the wounded cared
for ; then the white flags were pulled down, and the warning
sound of bullets announced the resumption of hostilities.

For several days the troops were occupied in strengthening
the lines, mounting guns, selecting sharpshooters, and making
all as secure as possible within the trenches. Meanwhile a
brisk fire of musketry and the boom of cannons was incessant
along the lines, and the "heated guns " of the enemy "belched
forth their thunder." Shells went, screaming overhead and
crashed through the trees, or fell among the cooks' and quarter
masters' trains in the rear. The midnight darkness was illu
mined by the fiery missiles projected from the mortars, and
occasionally, as they set fire to some building within the strong
hold, a quick blaze would cast its lurid glare upon the parapets ;
and the rebels never tired of discharging a huge cannon which
the boys named " old demoralizer," in order to prevent the
besiegers from getting needful rest.

The service required in the trenches was very exacting, and
one half the regiment was on duty while the other rested on
their arms, ready in turn to relieve their comrades, or to spring
into line at any sudden word of command. The natural result
of this arduous, irregular life, the privation and exposure, the
strain of constant watching, was that large numbers of the
men fell sick and were unfit for duty ; so that the service bore
more and more heavily on those who could endure it. But the
force was so small, considering the number of miles to be

I 1 8 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

guarded and held by the lines, that no available man could be
spared, and a soldier must be pretty badly off before he could
be sent to the temporary hospital which Surgeon Gillett had
opened. •

Another source of constant depletion of the Federal forces
was the vigilant work of the enemy's sharpshooters, and every
day brave men were wounded by these well-aimed rifle balls,
and many were killed. On this account it was necessary to
exercise extreme caution every moment, lest some unguarded
movement should expose the person to this deadly fire. Not a
hat or a hand could be raised above the earthworks without
drawing a shower of bullets, and woe to the poor man who was
so imprudent or careless as to venture beyond the close cover
of the trenches. But sharpshooting is a game that both sides
may play at, and, if the investing army lost many brave fellows
by this means, Banks's keen shots failed of their inten
tions if they did not pick off a Johnny for every Union man
who fell. In time this death-dealing practice became a nice
exercise of skill, and many a Yankee trick was resorted to for
discovering the position of an enemy on whom an expert sharp
shooter desired to draw a bead. One method was to cautiously
raise a hat above the trenches on the point of a bayonet, when
a Confederate would fire at it, and receive a return shot aimed
at his puff of smoke.

Besides the danger from missiles and disease, there were
manifold discomforts of minor importance, which in the aggre
gate added greatly to the constant discomfort of the daily life
of a besieging army. Conveniences were not to be thought of
at such a time ; no good sleep was possible ; food was poorly
cooked and irregularly served ; cleanliness was out of the ques
tion for lack of water in which to bathe ; and changes of rai
ment were not as frequent as a well-bred man might desire.
Heat was intense, filth abounded, and worse than all other
annoyances combined were the parasitic pests that swarmed in
every quarter, and disputed every inch of crawling room in
order to maintain the closest possible fellowship with all the
men.

HOW THEY LI TED. I 1 9

The brigade headquarters were only about one hundred and
fifty yards from the Confederate works, and in close proximity
thereto were the headquarters of Lieut. Col. Dillingham ; and
these had to be shifted from place to place in order to avoid the
murderous fire of sharpshooters. Capt. Barstow, whose duties
included a large amount of writing, had for his, portable desk a
bread-box, and the same ^//convenience served also as a dining
table. Nor were the officers exempt from the dangers and
hardships suffered by their men. One day Col. Dillingham
obtained a small tent to use as a shelter from the intense sun
light, but as soon as it was raised a cannon ball carried away
the top. As Capt. Barstow' s servant stretched forth his arm
to pass his master a cup of coffee, it was shattered by a bullet,
and the captain lost his drink.

To those who have never had an experience of army life in
trenches, the subjoined extracts from a letter written by Quar
termaster F. E. Smith during the siege, and dated, " Before
Port Hudson, June 27, 1863," will be an interesting revelation.

" Our officers and men lie quietly down day and night, week after week,
with hundreds of rifle balls whistling within a few feet, often a few inches,
of their heads. And when from necessity they must leave their posts,
they have to crawl behind logs and through ditches and ravines to get to
the woods in the rear. Perhaps on the way they must cross a knoll or a
ridge of land, when — whist ! whist! whiz-z-z ! go a half dozen bullets from
sharpshooters, who are constantly watching every such exposed place.
You have heard of the boy who got scared in the graveyard, and did not
know what frightened him, but thought it was a "fraid'; well, I saw the
same thing the first time I had occasion to cross those [exposed] places ;
and now when I think of going to the front, I. imagine I can see a "fraid,'
and conclude not to try it, unless for some very urgent reason. I have
heard a great deal about men being brave and not afraid of any danger. I
have seen many truly brave men, men who can do and dare anything, if it
be in the line of their duty. But they say to the inexperienced : ' Do n't be
idling or fooling around the front, unless you have business there ; for it is
no credit to you and does the army no good for you to be shot when away
from your post. Let every man do his business and go where he is
ordered; for the real test of a man's bravery is whether he will do his
duty wherever it lies.' ....

120 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

" I often wonder whether our friends at home have a realizing sense of
the situation of affairs here in camp. I hardly think they do — in fact, I
am sure they cannot. Let me tell you. The men of this command have
been confined for more than a month to the ditches, in which they live,
sleep, eat, and fight. In front are enbankments of their own building, on
the top of which are sand-bags and logs, forming loop-holes, through which
they watch the enemy, and shoot at the sight of anything that moves.
They are in many places within twenty rods of the earthworks behind
which lie the enemy, keeping as close watch of us as we do of them.

"A continued roar of musketry is kept up on both sides, while the bul
lets clip the leaves and branches overhead almost constantly. Along a
large part of the line the men are obliged to approach the trenches crawl
ing on their hands and knees. Here too, they sleep, if they sleep at all,
in such an inclined position that morning finds them several feet lower
down the bank than when they laid down. If the night be ever so rainy,
all they can do is to lie or stand and take it. When the ground gets very
slippery, so that they slide too much, they must drive some stakes to brace
their feet against. Many of the men have dug holes in the bank large
enough to admit their bodies, so that they literally live in caves of the earth.

" The cooking has to be done half or three quarters of a mile in the
rear, out of range of the guns, and the food is carried in by cooks and
negroes.

" You can readily imagine that the men are of necessity very dirty and
ragged, for their clothes soon get terribly filthy, or wear out. So much is
their appearance altered that you would recognize but few of the men or
officers of the old Eighth. Occasionally a few get out and stretch their
legs and get washed, and those who are fortunate enough to possess a
change of shirt put on a clean one. I3ut as a rule the poor boys are un
shaven, their hair is long and frequently uncombed for a week or more :
and, if a close inspection were made, it might surprise their wives or moth
ers to find vermin living on their heads and bodies.

"Their food is, of course, very plain and very poor. The water they get
is very bad even for this country, and the best they are able to procure
would be thought unfit for cattle in Vermont. Think then of living in such
a place week after week, with the burning southern sun pouring down upon
you, while a hundred pieces of artillery boom around you night and day,
not to mention the bursting of rebel shells in your very bedroom, and the
reports of ten thousand muskets to lull you to sleep. What say you to
this? How would you like it? Still, this is the actual state of things, only
a deep shade too faintly pictured

" Many amusing dialogues occur between the pickets on either side, who
are often near enough to hold conversation. A ' reb ' sings out: 'Hello,
Yank ! Seen anything of " Yellow Jack " yet ? He '11 give you a call soon,
over there in the swamps.'

A RECONNOISSANCE, 12 1

" ' No, I have n't seen " Yellow Jack," but I've seen "Yellow Jane," and
she calls every day or two. I say, Johnny, what do you have to eat ?
Have you any whiskey? Give us a drink,' replies the picket in blue.

"'Oh, plenty to eat and plenty to drink. I'll give you a quart of
whiskey for a pound of coffee. What ye say, Yank ?'

" ' You desert and come out,' answers Yankee ; 4 1 '11 give you all the
coffee you want.'

" ' Don't see it," says Johnny. ' I 'd be a great fool to surrender now,
for Johnston will be here in three or four days with twenty thousand men.
Then we '11 have you, coffee and all.'

" * Do n't count your chickens before they are hatched, Johnny. You '11
get mighty dry before you get coffee that way. " There 's many a slip 'twixt
cup and lip." ' . . . .

"The officers and men of your acquaintance, that are left, are all well, I
believe. Col. Thomas is an old hero. Lieut. Col. Dillingham is O. K., and
as good as the best."

After two weeks had been spent in digging and fortifying,
Gen. Banks ordered a night reconnoissance on the loth of June,
in order, by drawing the enemy's fire, to locate the position of
their artillery, and also to give the officers a chance to advance
the lines, and thereby lessen the exposed ground in front of the
works, across which the troops must charge under a galling fire
in the next assault. The night was warm, cloudy, and dark,
and about midnight the order was given to fall into line, while
the skirmishers went over the breastworks and waited for the
'signal to move. It took considerable time to prepare for action,
so that the advance was not begun until about three o'clock
in the morning. Then the skirmishers marched cautiously
forward, but were quickly detected by the enemy, and a heavy
fire of musketry was opened upon them. The men endured
this leaden hail for a while, when a sudden thunder-storm burst
over the scene, and for a brief hour the firing gave way before
the torrents of a grateful and less destructive rain.

When the storm-cloud had passed hostilities were resumed,
and the skirmishers met with heavy losses as they moved on
in execution of their commands. But the chief object of the
reconnoissance was not accomplished, because the enemy, appar
ently comprehending the manoeuvre, did not use their cannon ;
and just before daybreak the troops were recalled.

122 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

It was a night of fruitless endeavor and sad experiences.
Capt. Barstow, then acting adjutant general, being the only
staff officer at hand, was sent with a message to the commander
of the skirmishers belonging to Col. Thomas's brigade. On his
return, being scarcely able to see his way, while groping along
a ravine, he suddenly fell over a man lying on the ground appar
ently in great distress. "What are you doing here?" asked
the captain, but the only reply was a faint moan. The question
was repeated, but the man gave no other answer than repeated
moans. Capt. Barstow then touched the prostrate form with
his foot, when the man seized one of his hands and conveyed
it to his own throat. In this way he made the officer aware
that he had been shot in the neck and could not speak. Capt.
Barstow told him to keep up courage, and promised to send
men to his assistance from headquarters ; and when the poor
fellow was brought in he proved to be a member of the cap
tain's own company.

After sunrise there was another armistice, to enable the dead
and wounded to be removed from the open ground between the
works ; and then orders came to be ready in two days to make a
second grand assault on the main works of the enemy.

During the forenoon of the thirteenth instant there was a
furious bombardment all along the investing lines, to which the
enemy vigorously responded. Several Confederate guns were
dismounted before the engagement ceased, and when the fire
began to lull Gen. Banks sent a flag of truce to Gen. Frank
Gardner, commander of the garrison, demanding its surrender,
which was refused.

This being a preliminary movement, the firing was not
resumed, and quiet reigned for the rest of the day, broken
only by the occasional discharge of a sharpshooter's weapon.
But it was the hush that precedes the storm, the pause in which
the champion gathers for a terrible struggle ; and to many an
anxious soldier it was the calmness that heralds death.

A SUNDAY FIGHT.' 123

THE SECOND ASSAULT.

The next day was Sunday. But the soldier at the front
knows no Sabbath, and Gen. Banks issued orders on that
morning, which so many were wont to associate with peaceful
and hallowed thoughts, that the army should make another
attempt to carry the works by general assault.

At that time Col. Thomas lay very ill in the hospital, and Col.
Smith, of the One Hundred and Fourteenth New York, took his
place as commander of his brigade. Capt. Barstow was adju
tant general, and Lieut. Col. Dillingham led the Eighth Ver
mont. The order was, that, on going into action, the brigade
column should consist of two regiments of skirmishers, followed
by one regiment with hand grenades, the next with cotton-bags
with which to fill the ditch before the breastworks ; and
three regiments were to bring up the reir as an assaulting
party. The Eighth Vermont was assigned to lead the assault
ing column.

About one o'clock on the morning of the i4th the troops
were served with coffee and light rations, and two hours later
the lines were formed, and the skirmishers advanced over the
earthworks and reached the open spaces in front of the para
pets before the east began to redden with the dawn.

The Confederates were on the alert, and the movement did
not escape their notice, so that the lines had scarcely cleared
their trenches, when they were assailed by a murderous fire
from the garrison. The air was filled with flying minies and
grape, that sped athwart the open ground on their errand of
death, and seemed to find out every covert and penetrate every
avenue of approach. So terrible and deadly was this fire that
the cotton-bag and hand grenade regiments could not proceed,
and failed to execute their commands, and all seemed about
to be driven back in hopeless confusion. At this critical mo
ment the Eighth Vermont was ordered to move to the charge
by the flank through a ravine. Steadily it passed into position,
and rested its right on the brow of a hill over which it must

124 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

advance. With difficulty the lines moved over and passed the
men with cotton-bags, who stood huddled together, a ready
mark for the enemy's guns. " Forward, Eighth Vermont!"
shouted Adjt. Spalding from the head of the column ; and fell
dead. The men obeyed, and instantly the line was in motion.
But in less than five minutes sixty noble Green Mountain boys
dropped dead or wounded, and it was impossible to advance in
the teeth of such a hurricane of shot and shell. Again and
again did these brave fellows face the terrible fire ; but advance
was instant death, and a shudder of horror ran through the
stoutest hearts at sight of the bloody sacrifice. They fell back
under cover of the nearest ravine, reformed the column, and
tried to move around the hill. But Col. Smith was disabled by
a mortal wound, and the command passed to Lieut. Van Pat
ten, of the One Hundred and Sixtieth New York, who ordered
a second charge. Some went around the hill and reached the
ditch, while a few touched the breastworks. But the ground
over which they dashed was strewn with dead and wounded ;
all that human effort could do the bfave men had done ; and as
the first ruddy dawn mocked the bloody ground on which
their slain comrades lay, all that were left alive retreated to
the trenches as best they could. Some who had reached posi
tions under the enemy's parapets could not get back, and were
obliged to protect themselves by hugging the walls or crouching
behind cotton-bags and stumps of trees.

All that hot June Sabbath day the men lay there in plain
sight — the dead, the wounded, the unhurt, together, but no
help could reach them, for the enemy's gunners were unusually
active, and woe to the rtian who showed signs of life on the
field, and the pitying comrade who ventured forth on a mission
of relief. The least movement drew the fire of a score of
sharpshooters. Many who lay wounded before the works were
killed daring the day; and several brave men who set out to
carry relief to their fallen mates were ruthlessly shot.

The Confederates were jubilant over this successful repulse
of the investing army. The strains of victory were sounded
forth by drum and trumpet, while a chorus of exultant Johnnies

COUNTING THE LOST. 125

filled the air with " Bonny Blue Flag," and other " secesh "
songs.

Far different was it in the silent trenches, where the defeated
soldiers counted up their losses and talked in low, sad tones of
the bloody experience of the morning.

The killed and wounded belonging to the Eighth Regiment
were estimated to be ninety-six. The names of the killed were :
In Company B, Lieut. Stephen F. Spalding, Horace D. Ban
croft, George W. Brown, Jason C. Farewell, Wm. S. Lee ; in
Company C, Loren F. Kelley, Wm. T. Pettee ; in Company D,
Henry J. Thompson ; in Company E, Corporal Ira Barrett,
Wm. Jones (missing since that date); in Company G, Corporals
Henry Coles and Joseph Becotte, George Kendall, Solon Parker,
Wm. Johnston ; in Company H, Henry W. Crocker ; in Com
pany I, Sergeant Edward R. Pratt, Henry C. Blashfield.

Wagoner Wesley H. Day, of Company K, and Jason Drury
and James W. Howard, of Company E, afterwards died of
wounds received in this fight.

The wounded, as far as ascertained, were, in Company A,
Jephaniah Carpenter ; in Company B, Orderly Sergt. John
Bisbee, Sergt. W. H. Spencer, Sergt. George Collier, Cor
poral C. P. Church, C. S. Barrett, John R. Dawson, Joseph
Baraby, W. H. Henry, John Fox, John B. Tucker, Alfred
Wells, Charles Wheeler ; in Company C, Sergt. J. A. Ripley,
Charles E. Hardy, A. Montrett, J. S. Bailey, R. W. Williams,
H. A. Crane, C. E. Dunton, Martin Rosebush, L. Swinger,
George H. Haselton, Levi W. Skinner, J. L. Pettee ; in Com
pany E, Lieut. A. J. Sargent, Capt. Edward Hall ; in Company
F, Corporals Ezra E. Janes and Chas. A. McCluskey ; in Com
pany G, Lieut. John M. Pike, Corporal D. C. Woodbury, Francis
S. Hull, Louis Hoezle, John Sullivan, Langdon Kemp, Fabin
Dupias, John Davis; in Company H, Sergt. George M. Allard,
A. O. Evans; in Company I, Sergt. A. H. Ward, W. W. Saw
yer, Timothy Sullivan, Oscar B. Hescock ; in Company K,
Sergt. Perry Porter, Jr., P. P. Shores, John E. Woodsum. June
24th, James W. Howard, Charles E. L. Hills, Jason Drury,
Thomas F. Ferrin, Company E. June 28th, Jacob Mills, Jr.,

126 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Company D. July 3d, Lorenzo Robbins, Company D. June
25th, Edward White, Company D, died from wounds received
on the i4th.

In this connection may properly be mentioned the following
privates, who were killed during the month of June, on the
dates indicated. George Renfrew, Company D, 3d ; Felix
Marchand, Company C, i/th; Langdon Kemp, Company G,
iQth ; Samuel O. Horn, Company B, 2Oth.

Lieut. Pike, of Company G, and Sergt. Spencer, of Company
B, were severely wounded in this assault ; but the latter, on get
ting back within the lines, pluckily remarked : " I 'm wounded ;
but d — n them, I '11 live to whip them yet ! " Sergt. Perry Por
ter, Jr., of Company K, was wounded early in the charge, lay all
day on the field, and was brought in at night. After he was
down, seeing so many of his brave regiment falling around him,
he was roused to try what a crippled man could do to help them,
and crawling up behind a stump he raised his gun to fire, when
a piece of shell struck and doubled it back upon itself, and
threw him several feet away.

The death of Lieut. Stephen F. Spalding was deeply felt by
his command and associate officers, for he was much beloved as
a friend, and highly esteemed for ability and military skill. He
was born in Montpelier, Vt., June 25, 1840, was graduated from
the University of Vermont, and at the breaking out of the
Rebellion was a law student in New York city. In less than
six hours after the assault on Fort Sumter, he was on his way
to Washington as a volunteer in the Seventh New York Regi
ment, and served with them three months. When his term of
enlistment expired he returned to New York, where he enlisted
a number of men for another regiment, and was commissioned
second lieutenant. But being called to Montpelier by the
dangerous illness of his eldest brother, he resigned his com
mission, and returned to the study of law in Derby. His strong
patriotism would not permit him to remain at home, however,
in the quiet pursuits of civil life, and, having acquired a taste for
military service, he was active in recruiting Company B, of the

Forbes C(

LIEUT. STEPHEN F. SPALDING, Co. B.

THE FORLORN HOPE. 12?

Eighth Vermont, and when it organized was chosen first lieu
tenant. On reaching Algiers Capt. C. B. Child was detailed
as provost marshal, leaving Spalding in command of the com
pany. In the spring of 1863 he became acting adjutant of his
regiment.

The night before his death at Port Hudson, Spalding
remarked to a friend : " I shall be at the head of my regiment
to-morrow ; " and later, as if some premonition of fate had come
to him, he said to his friend Capt. Barstow : " I shall not spend
another night with you." Both remarks proved true, and he
was struck in the head by a minie ball, and fell in front of his
men. Lieut. F. E. Smith recovered his body, had it forwarded
to New Orleans in charge of George W. Fairfield, of Com
pany F, who delivered it to Lieut. Butterfield to be sent to his
friends. After his death, Lieut. Geo. N. Carpenter became
acting adjutant of the regiment.

In spite of his severe illness, Col. Thomas could not lie
quietly in the hospital after the heavy firing began on that fatal
morning of June I4th, but, disregarding the warnings of the
surgeons, ordered his horse mounted and rode to the front,
arriving just after his gallant regiment had fallen back. The
officers he met told him he was jeopardizing his life ; and
finally, seeing that the fight was over, and realizing his extreme
weakness, he reluctantly returned to his bed.

Two days after this terrible Sunday morning fight Gen.
Banks published an order calling for a volunteer storming
party of one thousand men to lead another assault. This was
the general's "forlorn hope," and he urged the call with all the
eloquence he could summon, but there was no enthusiastic
response from the lines. Finally a camp was designated where
those who would volunteer could be specially drilled and pre
pared for the difficult charge. The number was not raised, how
ever, though something less than three hundred entered the lists,
mostly from the Thirteenth Connecticut, as it was understood
that Col. Birge of that regiment would lead them, with a few
from the Twelfth. Col. Thomas, had he been on duty, could have
led the entire Eighth. Vermont to this assault simply by asking

128 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

them ; but as the case stood, only a few of his men allowed their
names to be enrolled for the " forlorn hope," and after about three
weeks the project was abandoned. The names of those mem
bers of the regiment who signified a willingness to serve, as far
as ascertained, are : Capt. John L. Bars tow, of Company K ;
Orderly Sergt. George G. Hutchins, of Company E ; Corporal
Abner N. Flint, and Privates Lyman P. Luce and George W.
Coles, of Company G ; George H. Ormsby, of Company H.

In the latter part of June Gen. Banks was informed that the
enemy had captured a wagon-train in the rear, and Weitzel's
division was ordered to leave the trenches and move against any
Confederate forces found hovering around. Accordingly Col.
Thomas led his brigade in this march, though scarcely strong
enough to sit on his horse. The first night the troops camped
in line of battle, amid a heavy rain. The next day a long, tedious
march was made, without discovering the enemy, and on the
third day the division returned to the trenches.

By this time the privations and exposures of the protracted
siege began to tell severely on the troops. The work of mining
had been begun, in addition to all the other duties, and heat,
malaria, and fatigue combined carried a large number of officers
and men into the hospital, while many another soldier, not sick
enough to be excused from service, simply dragged himself about
because he must.

All this while there had been no regular surgeon's call at the
front, but C. M. Ferrin, the hospital steward, attended to
the wants of the ailing in the trenches. And to his credit
it should be recorded, that his kind and skilful care saved
many a soldier from severe illness, and he performed a noble
service by his brave and tireless attentions to the wounded in
times of battle.

For weeks the two hostile armies faced each other within
hailing distance, and the rebels watched from the covert of their
earthworks, while the besiegers, strongly entrenched, slowly
laid the mines which as a last resort would be fired beneath the
enemy's walls. Under the laws of warfare, of course, no inter-

A LIMITED TRUCE. 129

course could be allowed between the armies, except through the
mouths of shotted guns, or officially under a flag of truce. But
it would be scarcely human for one body of men to be thus held
close prisoners week after week by another body speaking a
common language, and having so many interests in common,
and no attempt be made by the former to get news from the
outside world. As a matter of fact, therefore, signals were
frequently passed between the privates of the two lines, and the
blue and the gray would pass over the fortifications and hold a
friendly chat on neutral ground. Referring to this practice,
Maj. Wickham Hoffman, of Gen. Banks's staff, in his interesting
volume entitled, " Camp and Court Siege," writes :

" It was curious to observe the sort of entente cordiale which the sol
diers on both sides established during the seige. When they were tired of
trying to pick each other off through the loop-holes, one of them would tie
a white handkerchief to his bayonet and wave it above the parapet.
Pretty soon a handkerchief, or its equivalent — for the rebs did not indulge
in useless luxuries — would be seen waving on the other side. This meant
truce. In a moment the men would swarm out on both sides, sitting with
their legs dangling over the parapet, chaffing each other, and sometimes
with pretty rough wit. They were as safe as if a regular flag were out.
No man dared to violate this tacit truce. If he had done so, his own com
rades would have dealt roughly with him. After a while, on one side or
the other, some one would cry out, ' Get under cover now, Johnny/ or
4 Look out now, Yank ; we are going to fire,' and the fire would recom
mence."

"While in the rifle-pits during the siege," says a comrade,
" we were constantly on the watch for a chance to make a sharp
shot at anything which might appear inside the Confederate
lines. Directly in front of the position occupied by Company
B, but nearly over to the river, was a large round tent standing
by itself, but so far off and so situated, that with the naked eye
it was almost impossible to see if it was occupied, the opening
being on the side. Corporal W. E. Halladay, of Company B,
had a small telescope, with which he used to amuse himself by
watching anything which might attract his attention inside the
enemy's lines. One day while in the pit with Samuel O. Horn,
a movement at the opening of the tent attracted his attention,
9.

130 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

and he remarked to Horn that a man was standing just inside
the tent at the opening, and described to him the exact position.
Horn, who was a good shot, immediately sighted his Enfield
rifle to the highest notch, and aiming at thfc part of the tent
indicated, asked Halladay to tell him if the man made his
appearance again. After waiting a few minutes the man came
and stood in the same place where first seen, holding the flap of
the tent back with his hand. At the word Horn fired, and in
a very few seconds afterwards the flap of the tent suddenly
closed. We never learned if the shot took effect on the man at
whom it was fired, but in the course of fifteen or twenty min
utes an ambulance displaying the hospital flag drove up to the
tent, thus advertising that some one got hurt.

" Being under fire night and day for so long a time as we
were at Port Hudson, some of the boys became reckless, and
exposed themselves unnecessarily. In digging our rifle-pits, we
would dig a trench up the side, to the brow of the hill, then run
off to the right and left, throwing the dirt to the rear. This
formed a bank on which a man sitting would show his head and
about half of the body. On the morning of Jjune 2Oth, Samuel
O. Horn and Edward Belville, after coming off duty, and having
had a wash and their rations, went back into the pit without
their equipments and in their shirt sleeves. After being there
a short time talking with C. D. House, who was on duty, both
sat down on the earth bank in the rear, with their feet and legs
hanging into the pit. Their white shirts made a conspicuous
mark, which was soon seen by a Confederate sharpshooter, who
sent a ball whizzing close by their heads. Horn immediately
called out : ' You are no s >rt of a shot ! You couldn't hit the
broad side of a barn. Try again.' Apparently the same man
did try, as soon as he could reload, and sent the bullet to the
centre, of Horn's forehead, killing him instantly. After this
Belville was less reckless of unnecessary exposure, but met his
fate in a singular manner."

Among the multitude of accidents and experiences met with
during the protracted siege, it may be mentioned that on the
I4th, Win. H. Henry, of Company B, turned his head to sight

A QUEER CORN-MILL. 131

his rifle, when a ball struck his left cheek, plowed into the bone,
and came out through his ear, while at the same time a buck
shot struck him in the neck.

A few days later a canteen was seen lying on the flat land in
front of the trenches, and several comrades, who had not parted
with all their boyish recklessness, asked who dared to run out
and get it. Charles A. Dean, a young member of Company H,
accepted the challenge, and got safely back with the trophy,
though one of the Confederate shots, sent after him, cut a hole
through the tin. While holding conversation with the Johnnies
under a flag of truce, one day, Commissary Sergt. Lewis Child
and three comrades climbed over the enemy's works, and were
busily talking, when a Confederate officer came along, and
ordered them "to get out or be shot."

So complete was the investment of Port Hudson, that it was
utterly impossible for Gen. Gardner and his army to hold any
communication with the outside world, or convey any supplies
within their stronghold. Consequently, the stock of provisions
became so much reduced by the last of June, that the garrison
were obliged to subsist on a small allowance of corn-meal, and
an occasional ration of mule meat. Even this meal was
obtained and prepared with great difficulty, for lack of a grist
mill. They had a small portable mill, but no power, and to
supply this they resorted to a curious device. There was within
the garrison a small locomotive, which the ingenious Johnnies
raised up on blocks, so that the driving-wheel would clear the
rails. Round one of these was passed the belt of the corn-mill,
and after the engineer had 'rgot up steam," he was able in this
way to furnish meal at the rate of several miles an hour.
Probably this rude contrivance enabled the garrison to postpone
the inevitable surrender for some days.

During this interim in the trenches several promotions were
made, as follows : June nth, Maj. L. M. Grout resigned on
account of ill health, and Capt. H. F. Button, Company H,
was promoted to major ; Sec. Lieut. S. E. Howard, Company
H, first lieutenant ; First Lieut. A. B. Franklin, Company H,
captain; June I5th, Sec. Lieut. F. D. Butterfield, Company

132 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

B, first lieutenant ; Orderly Sergt. John Bisbee, second lieuten
ant ; July ist, Sec. Lieut. Geo. O. Ford, Company K, first
lieutenant.

• •

On the morning of July 4th Gen. Banks ordered that the
national salute be fired all along the line with shotted guns,
and Admiral Farragut issued a similar order to the upper and
lower fleets stationed in the river. Three days later, on the
7th instant, came the cheering report that Vicksburg had sur
rendered to Gen. Grant ; and as the message passed along the
lines, the troops hailed it with such loud and hearty shouts of
joy that the Confederates knew that some important event had
taken place, and called out, "What's the news, Yanks?" and
soon the Port Hudson garrison knew that another stronghold
of the enemy had fallen.

THE SURRENDER.

Early next morning white flags were displayed above the
invested works, and Gen. Gardner sent a messenger under a
truce to inquire if the news of the Vicksburg surrender was
official, and Gen. Banks returned answer that it was captured
on the 4th. This was soon followed by a second message from
the commander of the works, stating that he had appointed
three commissioners to confer with three officers, whom
Gen. Banks would detail, and arrange terms of capitulation.
This was cheering news indeed, and in the course of a few
hours the details of the surrender were completed, and the
garrison that had defied the Union army for forty-two days,
voluntarily opened its arms to receive them.

This event, following so closely upon the receipt of the news
that Vicksburg had fallen, was very naturally construed at the
time to have been a direct consequence of that disheartening
intelligence. But while the inevitable result might hive been
hastened a day or two on that account, subsequent evidence
fully confirms Gen. Gardner's assertion that it was a different
motive that decided him to surrender. The simple fact was

ENTERING THE WORKS. 133

that he could defend the place no longer ; and after the sur
render he plainly told Gen. Banks that his garrison had scarcely
anything to eat ; and when he saw preparations going on for
another assault, knowing that the mines were laid beneath his
works, he determined to save further bloodshed by honorable
concession.

It is a question, too, how much longer Gen. Banks could
have maintained the siege without reinforcements. For at that
time the army had been greatly reduced, and he was in immi
nent danger of being attacked in the rear by Confederate
forces collected from the surrounding country. In describing
his condition Capt. de Forrest, of the Thirteenth Connecticut,
writes: "On the day of the surrender Gen. Banks had ten
thousand four hundred men for duty, to watch and fight over a
line nearly eight miles in extent. Our [the Union] forces had
lost at least four thousand in killed and wounded, and nearly as
many more rendered unserviceable by sickness."

At the same time Gen. Gardner was not an easy foe to con
quer. He was strongly fortified and made an able and vigorous
defence of Port Hudson, so that the reduction of the works was
a severe test of endurance and skill, whether the investing
army accomplished the end by siege or by assault.

On the morning of July Qth the Union columns marched into
Port Hudson and halted in front of the Confederate garrison,
which was drawn up in line of battle. Gen. Gardner gave them
his last order to ground arms, the Confederate flags were
pulled down, and the stars and stripes rose in triumph, amid
the exultant cheers of the victors. The surrender included
between six thousand and seven thousand men, with their arms
and the armament of the works.

When Port Hudson fell, the last Confederate defence on the
Mississippi was removed, and a free water-way was opened from
Cairo to the Gulf. It divided the Confederacy and cut off from
their armies on the east side the supplies from the west, on
which they had so long subsisted. It was the severest blow yet
struck at the enemy ; and the successive victories of Mead at
Gettysburg, Grant at Vicksburg, and Banks at Port Hudson,

134 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

were a message of despair to secession, renewed hope to the
loyal North, and courage to the Union armies in the field.

While all the available forces of Gen. Banks had been drawn
from other points for the investment of Port Hudson, "Dick"
Taylor had opportunity to collect his scattered army and ravage
the country from which he had been so lately driven, without
check or hindrance. And he improved his chance to descend
upon the Teche, capture Brashear City and Bayou Boeuf, and the
sick, with the heavy baggage and valuable papers left at the
former place by the Eighth Vermont, fell into his hands. Col.
Thomas's fine horse, which was so much admired, was there
also, in charge of Private Parkhurst, of Company G, and was
taken by the enemy. After that Taylor reoccupied the La
Fourche country.

It would seem that Texan soldiers had not kept posted on
the subject of improved electrical machinery, for Taylor's book
says that when he made this capture at Brashear City, "the
sight of such quantities of ' loot ' quite upset my hungry fol
lowers. Wandering through the station and warehouse filled
with stores, a Texan came upon a telegraphic instrument click
ing away in response to one down the line. Supposing this to
be some infernal machine for our destruction, he determined to
save his friends at the risk of his own life, and smashed the
instrument with his heavy boots, then rushed among his
comrades, exclaiming : ' Boys ! they is trying to blow us up.
I seen the triggers a-working, but I busted 'em.' "

On the evening after the formal surrender, Gen. Weitzel's
division, including the Eighth Vermont, took boats and pro
ceeded down the river to Donaldsonville, where the Confeder
ate soldiers had appeared in force and were placing cannon
along the bank in order to interrupt communication with New
Orleans.

INCIDENTS OF THE SIEGE.

Every survivor of the Eighth Vermont will remember with
gratitude Quartermaster Sergeant W. H. Gilmore, whose
prompt energy in forwarding his wagons saved them so many

SHA RPSHOOTERS. 1 3 5

times from going hungry. One incident of his army experi
ence during the siege of Port Hudson is worthy of mention in
this connection. On the loth of June he set out for Baton
Rouge to order supplies, and while making his way alone
through a long stretch of woods, he was suddenly surprised by
three mounted Confederates, armed with shot guns. So near
were they when he discovered them that escape was impossible
and resistance useless, and he suffered himself to be captured
and disarmed. The guards proceeded with him to Clinton,
which they reached about nine o'clock in the evening, and he
was informed that he would be sent next morning to Richmond.
But before they got away from the place a body of Federal
cavalry, which was skirmishing in the neighborhood, approached
so near that it was feared that Gilmore and a few other prison
ers would be rescued ; so they were paroled, after promising to
make their way to New Orleans. But in the course of the next
two days the faithful sergeant got within the lines again at
Port Hudson, and reported to Gen. Banks.

A remarkable artillery shot was made one morning by Capt.
Bainbridge. Seeing the enemy open fire with a piece they had
mounted during the previous night, he brought one of the guns
of his battery to bear upon it, and fired a charge that struck it
directly in the muzzle and exploded, dismounting the piece and
rendering it useless.

So alert were the Confederate sharpshooters during this
investment, that it was difficult to get a sight of the works, even
through the most guarded loop-hole, without being exposed to
fire. And one day Gen. Banks himself had a narrow escape
from death, while taking a stealthy survey. He went into the
stockade and clapped his eye to a small lookout, and then for
some reason turned away. Immediately a negro who stood
near by put his eye up to the same peep-hole, and was shot
dead.

A singular illustration of the power of imagination was dis
covered at one time by Hospital Steward Ferrin. He was
hastily called to a man who lay groaning on the ground, who
declared that his foot had been completely shattered by a ball.

136 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

The steward removed his shoe and stocking, and found the
pedal extremity perfectly sound — the ball had struck his shoe
and glanced off.

Port Hudson was the first of the great batrtes of the war in
which the Eighth Vermont had taken part, and their behavior
won for them and their commander the admiration and praise
of all who were competent judges of the situation. The gen
eral in command of the brigade said in his official report : " I.
would not do justice to my convictions of duty, did I fail to
mention Col. Thomas for his coolness and gallantry at all
times;" and gave a full account of the endurance and heroic
deeds of the officers and men belonging to this regiment, dur
ing that protracted investment.

Mr. H. M. Pollard was commissioned first lieutenant of Com
pany I, July 1 2th; and Orderly Sergt. John Bisbee, of Com
pany B, was promoted to second lieutenant, July i5th.

VI.

BAYOU TECHE AGAIN.

EARLY on the morning of July loth, Weitzel's division reached
Donaldsonville on the steamer Laurel Hill, and the Eighth Ver
mont went into camp near the landing. No engagement took
place that day, although there was some firing along the picket
lines ;. but the next afternoon the regiment was ' suddenly
ordered to "fall in " and move on the double-quick to the front,
for the advance of the other troops had been checked by the
enemy. The battle lasted but a short time, however, and the
Eighth was held in reserve. But in a counter charge the
Confederates captured a few Federal prisoners and two pieces
of artillery, and retreated during the. night. The entire divi
sion pursued them the next morning, and the Confederates hur
ried to Berwick bay and crossed before the Union gunboats
could intercept them.

The Eighth Regiment then marched beyond Thibocleaux and
went into camp for the first time since April Qth. In memory
of the brave adjutant general of the brigade who fell at Port
Hudson on the 2/th of May, Gen. VVeitzel named this place
Camp Hubbard ; and there for a space they enjoyed the rest so
much needed after the long, exhausting campaign. There the
evening dress parades made it sadly apparent that the ranks
had become greatly reduced. All the companies had suffered
great losses, while some had left not more than a dozen pri
vates, and not a single commissioned officer. Members of the
regiment were buried from every camp between New Orleans

138 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

and Alexandria. Some died, buried in the Teche ; many had
fallen at Port Hudson ; a large number were sick in the hospi
tals ; another small portion had been discharged on account of
disability ; while a few had gone Northern furloughs. Among
those absent were Col. Thomas, who was ordered North on sick
leave, and Capt. Barstow, who was much debilitated and unfit
for duty.

Such being the condition of the companies, the future
efficiency of the regiment made it imperative that they should
be recruited. Accordingly, on the I5th of August, an order
was given for a detail to proceed at once to Vermont and secure
new men for the service. The following were selected for this
duty : Capt. C. B. Leach, of Company D ; Lieut, and acting
Adjt. George N. Carpenter of Company C ; Lieut. A. K. Cooper,
of Company A ; Sergt. W. H. Spencer, of Company C ; Sergt.
Charles R. Wills, of Company G ; Corp. F. R. Carpenter, of
Company F ; Corp. H. R. Brown, of Company H ; Corp. W. J.
Parker, of Company I ; Corp. Ezra S. Pierce, of Company K.
They left immediately for New Orleans, took a boat for Cairo,
111., and thence proceeded by rail to Brattleboro, and reported
to Maj. Austin, the provost marshal.

A few days after their arrival in Vermont, Lieut. Carpenter
was ordered to report to Gen. Devons in Boston harbor, where
he remained a while on duty, and was then sent to Norfolk
and Alexandria, Va., in charge of conscripts to the Vermont
regiments belonging to the Army of the Potomac. He returned
to his own regiment the following December. Capt. Leach and
the rest of the detail remained on duty in the state until the
necessary recruits we're assigned, and returned to the regiment
in Louisiana.

When this detail left Camp Hubbard, Lieut. L. M. Hutchin-
son, of Company A, was made acting adjutant in place of
Lieut. Carpenter.

On the 1 5th of August Capt. Henry E. Foster, of Com
pany C, resigned and retired from the army on account of disa
bility and ill health. He was a man well adapted to military
life. His company had been raised largely through his own

Albertypc: Forbes Co., Boston.

LIEUT. COL. CHARLES DILLINGHAM.

DETAIL DUTY. 139

personal influence, and he was active and faithful in looking
out for the interests of the men under his charge. He was a
brave soldier and a good disciplinarian. After the railroad had
been repaired and opened from Algiers to Brashear City, Capt.
Foster became the military superintendent, and filled the posi
tion with marked ability. Lieut. Geo. N. Carpenter was pro
moted to the vacant captaincy, on the same day.

September ist, Lieut. Col. Dillingham was ordered to proceed
with the regiment to Algiers, and there embark on a steamer to
join an expedition against Sabine Pass on the Texas coast.
Gen. Franklin commanded the troops, and anchored opposite
the pass, but did not land, because the gun-boats were unable to
reduce the forts. But Gen. Weitzel begged to be allowed to
take the Eighth Vermont, with the Twelfth Connecticut and
Twenty-sixth Massachusetts, and charge the enemy's works.
But his request was refused, and the troops returned to Algiers
on the I ith instant.

During the last of November a second detail for recruiting
service was ordered to report at Burlington, Vt., which con
sisted of Lieut. Col. Charles Dillingham ; Lieut, and acting
Quartermaster S. E. Howard ; Sergt. Ezra H. Brown, of Com
pany A ; Sergt. George Collier, of Company B ; Sergt. John A.
Ripley, of Company C ; Sergt. Edward F. Gould, of Company
D ; Sergt. Chas. R. Wills, of Company G ; Sergt. Geo. G.
Hutchins, of Company E ; Sergt. Joseph N. Dunton, of Com
pany H ; Sergt. Francis E. Warren, of Company I ; Sergt.
Charles Cheney, of Company K ; Sergt. Wm. T. Church, of
Company F.

Col. Dillingham did not serve on this detail for reasons indi
cated below, and Lieut. Howard, consequently, took it in charge,
and started at once for the North.

On the 1 2th day of December, Lieut. Col. Dillingham resigned,
Maj. H. F. Dutton was promoted to fill the vacancy, and Capt.
John L. Barstow, of Company K, was made major.

Lieut. Col. Charles Dillingham, son of ex-Gov. Paul Dilling
ham, was educated in the schools of Newbury and Barre, Ver
mont, passed the early years of his life in mercantile houses in

140 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Waterbury, Cleveland, Ohio, and Minnesota, and then studied
law in his father's office, and was nearly ready for admission to
the bar when the war broke out. He raised the first company
of three-years' men in the state, but was obliged to disband
because the governor had no authority to accept them. He
then recruited Company D, of the Second Regiment, was
elected captain, and served in the Army of the Potomac, where
he participated in the first battle of Bull Run. He was com
missioned as major in the Eighth, was promoted to be second
lieutenant colonel, and commanded the regiment at the siege of
Port Hudson. Col. Dillingham was a brave and efficient offi
cer, who not only distinguished himself on the field, but as an
able counsellor on military commissions.

The following promotions were made during the fall of 1863,
as indicated : O. E. Ross, appointed assistant surgeon, Sept.
i/th; Sec. Lieut. W. H. Smith, Company F, first lieutenant,
Oct. ist ; S. W. Shattuck, appointed adjutant, Oct. 2Oth ; First
Lieut. H. M. Pollard, Company I, captain, Nov. /th, vice Capt.
W. W. Lynde, resigned ; Sec. Lieut. John Bisbee, Company B,
first lieutenant, Nov. /th ; Sec. Lieut. Geo. E. Selleck, Com
pany I, first lieutenant, Nov. /th ; First Lieut. F. D. Butter-
field, Company B, captain, Nov. /th ; Com. Sergt. Lewis Child,
first lieutenant, Company C, Dec. 6th ; Sec. Lieut. A. J. Sar
gent, Company E, first lieutenant, Dec. I2th ; Maj. H. F. Dut-
ton, lieutenant colonel, Dec. 28th ; First Lieut. Geo. O. Ford,
Company K, captain, Dec. 28th ; Capt. J. L. Barstow, Company
K, major, Dec. 28th.

The following from the Eighth Vermont were promoted to
U. S. colored regiments ; Wm. Noyes, Company C, captain ;
P. J. Noyes, Company C, lieutenant ; Lewis Titus, Company C,
lieutenant ; H. C. Abbott, Company C, captain, Second Louisi
ana Regiment ; Lucius C. Herrick, Company G, was discharged
to accept a commission as assistant surgeon of another regiment.

Quartermaster Fred E. Smith, whose name occurs so fre
quently in the earlier history of the Eighth Vermont, in connec
tion with a record of honorable service, had some experience in
militarv affairs before the time when the regiment was raised.

Late Quartermaster 8th Vt.

NEW IBERIA. 141

He assisted in raising the Sixth, and in November, 1861, Gov.
Fairbanks sent him to the Potomac to settle the accounts of
the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Regiments, which were unclosed
when they left the state. Before his return he received a
telegram from Col. Thomas, tendering him the quartermas-
tership of the Eighth, and on reaching Vermont he set about
his new duties immediately. In this position he had a wide
field for the display of executive and business qualities which
have characterized his whole career ; and it was these which
attracted the notice of his superior officers, and gained him a
promotion whi:h was equally complimentary to his personal
ability and the regiment to which he belonged.

After serving faithfully under Col. Thomas, Gen. Weitzel
adopted him into his own military family, appointing him on
his staff, as acting commissary of subsistence. In this
capacity he served in the different engagements in Louisiana,
beginning at Labadieville and ending with the surrender of
Port Hudson. It was a great and merited tribute of praise,
when Col. Thomas, while acting brigadier commander, remarked
of Lieut. Smith : " I have the best quartermaster in the United
States army."

September i/th, the Eighth Vermont led the brigade by easy
marches along a familiar route. There was a day's halt at
Franklin, and they passed on through New Iberia and Opelousas
to Carrion Crow bayou, * where they went into camp for a few
days. Here the enemy, which had thus far retired before the
advance of the brigade, made a stand in considerable force, and
a strong picket-line was necessary to guard against surprises.
November /th there was some sharp skirmishing, but no
general engagement took place, and on the i6th the troops were
ordered to fall back to New Iberia, and there establish a posi
tion which would be stronger for defence.

An incident not likely to be forgotten was a splendid dash
of Barrett's cavalry on about six hundred mounted Texans.

* The name " Carrion Crow bayou " was given to this stream on account of the former resi
dence upon its banks of a gentleman named Carron Cro.

142 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

That troop of horse was one of the finest in the Union
army and was greatly admired, and the Green Mountain
infantry, in camp at New Iberia, witnessed the rout of the
Texans with a great deal of satisfaction.

At this place complaints of foraging were made at head
quarters, though Col. Thomas, with his usual caution, would
warn his men, whenever the sight of sleek cattle or sheep
attracted their hungry eyes : " Now do n't let me see you touch
one of those animals ! " And it is not to be presumed that
he ever did see any of his faithful boys appropriate to their own
use the innocent live-stock of peaceful citizens.

When Gen. Franklin was in command, however, complaint
was made to him that some of Weitzel's men were stealing from
the adjacent plantations. The members of the Eighth Vermont
were Weitzel's men at that time, and, convinced that a high
standard of integrity prevailed throughout his brigade, Weitzel,
to whom the complaint was referred, said he had given his men
permission to purchase what they needed, but had forbidden
theft, and did not believe they would steal. At that moment a
cavalry-man brought in two privates of the Eighth Vermont,
Edward Price and Henry Roseblade, who were charged with
stealing geese.

" Here is a clear case," said Gen. Franklin.

" I think not," answered Gen. Weitzel ; and looking round at
the men he added : " You bought the geese, did n't you ?"

The accused were not so stupid as to answer in the negative,
and were acquitted, although Gen. Franklin appeared not to be
entirely satisfied with the result, and keot a sharp lookout for
the next case. It came soon after, for the same " Ed " Price,
in company with E. S. Pierce, of Company K, had an interesting
adventure in a watermelon field. The owner of the melons sat
under the shade of a tent, gun in hand, guarding his precious
fruit. But the two Yankee boys took him by surprise, made him
drop his weapon, go to the field and pick a liberal supply of the
ripest melons, and carry them far enough towards the camp to
be out of reach of his gun. Then they released him, and brought
in their booty.

RE-ENLISTING. 143

The next day the two foragers chanced to be detailed for
guard duty, and while at their posts the melon man appeared,
and made loud complaint of the ill usage he had received. The
first step toward redress was, of course, to identify the thieves,
and Pierce was ordered to show the man round the camp. It
did not occur to the planter that either of the guard could be
the guilty parties, and he did not inspect them ; nor, after look
ing around -to his heart's content, was he able to find the men
he sought ; consequently, as a lawyer would say, he had no case,
and the two offenders were relieved to see him take his
departure.

Foraging is a prolific topic, and it would be easy to cover
many valuable pages with transcripts of the amusing stories of
personal adventure, so well told by comrades Herbert E. Hill,
Charles A. Dean, and others, who came near being captured by
guerillas while engaged in a laudable search for mutton, fowl,
and other desirable means of army subsistence.

A VETERAN REGIMENT.

This camp, which was retained until the following January,
will be remembered as the scene of some very important changes
in the Eighth Vermont, which at that time had passed nearly
its full term of volunteer service in the field.

The year of 1864 opened with the severest weather the regi
ment had experienced since landing at Ship Island. A cold
north wind, with continuous rain and sleet, caused much suffer
ing on picket lines as well as in camp, for the men had no
means of protecting themselves against such unusual weather.
The ground was frozen, ice formed on the water, and snow-
flakes often filled the air.

But the discomforts of this inhospitable storm did not chill
the warm patriotism of those long-tried descendants of Ethan
Allen's plucky campaigners. An order, issued on the 25th
of June, was received from the war department for raising
a veteran regiment, and, on the 5th day of January, three
hundred and twenty-one brave veterans faced the chances of

144 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

a still more rigorous and exacting service, and signed papers
of re-enlistment for another three years. This was a crucial test
of loyalty. There was no element of novelty or romance to
lure them on ; no spell of Northern enthusiasm tempered the
inclement atmosphere ; no offer of rich bounty dazzled them.
These men knew what the service exacted ; the privations and
horrors of war were all familiar to them ; they had every rea
son to believe that the future struggle with the giant Rebellion
would be more severe and sanguinary than the past.

When the news of this re-enlistment was communicated to
Gen. Emory, who commanded the division at that time, he issued
a special order, commending the zeal of the Eighth Vermont,
and caused it to be read to all the troops at the evening parade.

The Eighth was the second from Vermont to re-enlist, and
thus become a veteran regiment. The number of veterans from
each company was as follows : A, 42 ; B, 31 ; C, 29 ; D, 34 ; E,
22 ; F, 32 ; G, 32 ; H, 32 ; I, 39 ; K, 25 ; making a total of 318
privates, to which were added three non-comissioned staff,
besides the commissioned officers who signified an intention to
remain in the service.

In this connection Capt. McFarland, of Company A, furnishes
this interesting statement : Fourteen men re-enlisted out of
the seventeen who originally enlisted under him from his home
in Waterville, Vt. One died in the service ; one was promoted,
and one discharged for disability; so that they were all
accounted for.

On the 6th of January, the camp was moved to Franklin,
where very comfortable quarters were secured near the town,
and where the regiment remained for two months. During the
month of February the second detail, that had gone home for
recruiting service in Vermont, returned with three hundred
fresh men, accompanied by Col. Thomas, who had regained his
health and returned to the command of his gallant regiment.
He had sailed from New York in the Cahawba, which had on
board a number of deserters taken from Blackwell's Island, to
be returned to their regiments. One characteristic incident on

A WHISKEY FIEND. 145

this voyage is narrated by Lieut. Howard, of the recruiting de
tail, which will bear repeating.

The deserters contrived to smuggle a cask of whiskey on
board and secrete it, and, having imbibed freely during the first
night out, they became quarrelsome and indulged in a rough
fight, during which several men were badly cut or shot. A
faithful search was made for the whiskey, but it could not be
found. But it was evident that one of the sailors knew some
thing about it, and the captain of the vessel questioned him
sharply. The tar, however, refused to tell what he knew, and
no threats or coaxing could wring the secret from him. At this
juncture Col. Thomas sent to have the sailor brought before
him, and, in the presence of three or four others, talked to him
in a way that made him quail. "And now," added the Colonel,
" I '11 give you just five minutes to tell where that whiskey is,
or" — here he interjected a Jacksonian expression of great
emphasis — " I '11 hang you at the yard-arm !" Then requesting
one of those present to " time " him, not another word was
spoken. For three minutes Jack Tar stood there under the
piercing gaze of the Colonel, but at the end of that space he
broke down, and confessed that it was in the coal bunkers. A
court-martial was then convened, and the trial of the offenders
lasted during the remainder of the voyage.

Col. Thomas had not been many days at Franklin when he
was ordered to New Orleans to testify before a military com
mission. By some means the colored people of Algiers learned
that their old " Massa Colonel " was near by, and they gathered
in great numbers at the ferry landing to see him on his return.
As he stepped from the boat he was thronged with negroes,
who blockaded his path, shook his hands, and greeted him
with the heartiest demonstrations of joy. Col. Thomas was
touched by this exhibition of genuine affection, and talked to
the people as they came surging around him, giving them good
advice about their behavior as freedmen. In closing be said :
" Now I am going back to the regiment, and may never see you
again ; for very soon we shall go into battle, and I may be
killed."

146 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Here his utterance was interrupted by a loud exclamation
from an old negro, who seized his hand and cried : " No, no,
Massa Thomas, you won't be killed, sah J, Every time we
prays, we tell de good Lor' to keep Massa Thomas in the hollah
of his han'. God won't let you be killed." This was uttered
with a fervor that left no doubt of his sincerity ; and as soon as
he could make himself heard, another aged negro added : " De
good kurnel is sent down heah to deliber us. Don't ye know
when Pharaoh druv the Israelites inter de Red Sea, how God
sent Moses down dere to git 'em out agin ? Jes' so he send
de ol' kurnel down heah to deliber us out uv bondage."

During this period of quiet camp life a number of promotions
were made, as follows : Edward Dewey, appointed quarter
master, Jan. 1 2th ; Sergt. William H. Spencer, Company B,
second lieutenant, Feb. 2Oth ; Sergt. John A. Ripley, Company
C, second lieutenant, Feb. 2Oth ; Sergt. Nathaniel Robie, Com
pany D, second lieutenant, Feb. 2Oth ; Sergt. Joseph N. Dutton,
Company H, second lieutenant, Feb. 2Oth ; William K. Crosby,
Company C, first lieutenant Louisiana Volunteers.

ON A FURLOUGH.

In accordance with the orders of the war department, grant
ing a furlough of thirty days at home to members of regiments
who re-enlisted, the troops received word about the first of
March to go to Algiers and prepare the muster rolls for their
speedy departure. A steamer was provided for their trans
portation, and on the 'seventh instant the lines were formed
and the rest of the Second Brigade escorted the Eighth Ver
mont on board, and sent them off with cheers and hearty
good wishes. They remained at Algiers four weeks, during
which time the veterans signed the new rolls of enlistment, and
were formally sworn into the service for three years, by the
United States mustering officer. Then came the welcome
paymaster, who replenished their empty pockets with Uncle
Sam's legal tender, and on the ;th of April the veterans went
on board the steamer Constitution, bound for New York. The

THIRTY DAYS AT HOME. 147

Ninth Connecticut, also on a veteran furlough, bore them
company.

A pleasant passage of nine days brought the two veteran
regiments to New York, and they reached New Haven by a
Sound boat late in the afternoon, where the citizens gave their
returned sons a grand reception and banquet, and insisted that
their Green Mountain companions in arms should share the
honor and hospitality. Hurrying on again by special train, the
gallant Eighth reached Montpelier on the evening of April i6th,
where their friends and the citizens welcomed them in the
most cordial manner, and the congratulations and feasting were
prolonged into the early hours of the morning, which was Sun
day. During that day the regiment went through the usual
weekly inspection by the company officers, and a dress parade
in the evening, which was witnessed by a large concourse of cit
izens. On Monday they were furloughed for thirty days, with
orders to report at Brattleboro at the expiration of that time.

After the departure of the veterans, the remainder of the
regiment, together with the recruits (in all 567 men), occupied
the old camp at Algiers under command of Maj. J. L. Barstow,
and, in accordance with orders from Col. Thomas, they were at
once placed under stringent discipline. Every detail of guard-
mounting, dress parade, guard and police duty, and company
and regimental drill, was rigorously insisted on, with particular
attention to rapid loading and target practice. The sick were
tenderly and skilfully treated by Asst. Surgeon O. E. Ross.

With no details for detached service, the recruits were rapidly
gaining in proficiency, but the Confederates were at their old
tricks. Brashear City had been strongly fortified, and redoubts
had been thrown up at La Fourche and garrisoned. The rebel
cavalry also made frequent dashes upon points between and
adjacent to these places, and the Eighth was not to remain in a
quiet camp. On the 6th of May, Maj. Barstow was ordered by
Gen. J. J. Reynolds, commander of the defences of New Orleans,
to proceed at once with his force to La Fourche Crossing, and
report to Col. Day of the Ninetieth New York. A private
note from headquarters at the same time informed him that

148 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

news had just been received that rebel cavalry to the number of
several hundred were at Napoleonville, preparing for a descent
upon Thibodeaux and the railroad. At six^P. M., therefore, a
train was ready, and Boutee station was reached at dark, where
it was found that the train due from Brashear City had not
arrived, and that the wires had been cut each side of the sta
tion. The train, however, proceeded with great caution, the
engineer being placed under guards, who were ordered to shoot
him upon the least appearance of treachery or disobedience.
La Fourche was reached at midnight, and the men were
marched up the river through Thibodeaux and camped in the
suburbs. At about eleven o'clock the next night word was
brought to the major by Col. Day's adjutant, that a scout had just
arrived with information that a force of Confederate cavalry was
en route for the place, and that an attack was certain to be made
before morning ; also that Col. Day had left for Brashear City,
and the command of the post consequently devolved upon
him. In addition to the Eighth Vermont, the garrison con
sisted of two companies of Scott's Nine Hundred, and one
company of Maryland cavalry, one section of a Connecticut
battery, and two companies of infantry at the redoubts. Every
man was instantly ordered into line, and all preparations made
to resist the expected attack. As Maj. Barstow had no
mounted staff, Quartermaster Edward Dewey, of Montpelier,
and Assistant Surgeon Ross, volunteered to act in that capac
ity, and were on duty during the night, riding to the outer cav
alry picket with orders, and performing all the duties of aids.
Soon after midnight firing was heard at the picket-posts, and
at the same time an incendiary fire was kindled in an unoc
cupied house in the village, the light of which disclosed the
position of the troops. This was a preconcerted signal by a
resident, and gave notice to the approaching column that
surprise was impossible that night, and the Confederate force
retired. Two days later heavy reinforcements arrived, and
further apprehension of danger was dissipated. Thereafter,
drill and instruction were sadly interfered with by heavy details
for guard duty upon the railroad.

DID NOT KNOW HIM. 149

While the veterans were home on a furlough, shortly after
re-enlisting, and the balance of the Eighth Regiment with the
new recruits were in camp at Thibodeaux, a planter near by lost
some mules, and jumped to the conclusion that the Yankee
soldiers had stolen them. Into the camp he came, one morn
ing, and in a towering rage addressed the officer in command
and charged the men with theft. The commander treated him
in a kindly manner, and by adroit courtesy so quieted and
mollified the wrath of the old man, that he accepted an invita
tion to stay to dinner.

In the headquarters mess was a young officer, who had
imbibed too freely of the ardent, and who, on being introduced
to the planter, asked, "Where, sir, have I met you? Your
face is very familiar." The stranger disclaimed any previous
acquaintance, but the officer was confident and persisted : "Must
" 'ave seen ye b'fore ! — face very familiar." Again the
planter denied having met him, but in a few moments the
young man repeated his assertion. This was pressing a point
too far for the dignity of a southern gentleman, and, drawing
himself up at full height, the planter silenced the aggressive
youth with the haughty remark : " I certainly have not met you
before, unless you are one of the party that stole my mules."

On the 24th of May Maj. Barstow was ordered by Gen.
Banks to proceed to New Orleans and thence to Vermont
with all the original members of the regiment, who did not
re-enlist, to be mustered out at the expiration of their term of
service. The major replied, asking to be excused from the per
formance of this duty, as he wished to remain with the recruits
until Col. Thomas returned. He also mentioned two experi
enced captains, Leach and Foster, either of whom was per
fectly capable of taking care of the men. But Gen. Banks
refused to grant his request, whereupon the major again wrote,
stating that his absence would leave over three hundred recruits
with no officer above the rank of lieutenant in charge of them,
and again asking to be allowed to remain. The response was
an order detailing the major of the Twenty-sixth Illinois Infan-

150 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

try to take command of the recruits, and peremptory directions
from Gen. Reynolds to carry out the first order. In accordance
therewith, this portion of the regiment arrivgd at New Orleans
on the 6th of June, and, after a brief interview with the
veterans, who had just returned, they sailed on the Daniel
Webster for New York, and arrived at Brattleboro on the
1 5th instant. They were mustered out of service June 22,
1864.

Maj. John L. Barstow, who quitted the army with this part
of his regiment, had won a splendid record. He entered the
service as quartermaster sergeant, but before his regiment was
mustered into the United States service, he was promoted to
adjutant. Then he became captain of Company K, and was
acting adjutant general under Col. Thomas. Finally he was
commissioned major. He had participated in all the engage
ments in which his regiment took part, and was acting adjutant
general of the brigade at the siege of Port Hudson. As a
brave and competent officer he had won the confidence of his
superiors, and been complimented for eminent service in the
field. As a commander he enforced military discipline every
where, by example as well as by precept, and above all by the
noble manhood with which nature had endowed him.

Maj. Barstow carried with him into private life the tender
regard of his comrades, who in token of their esteem presented
him a beautiful sword and belt just as he was about to leave
New Orleans for his home. On accepting this tribute the
major remarked that he regarded it the highest compliment he
could receive, since it was a gift from those who had served
under him in the field.

On the i Qth of May the furloughs of the veteran regiment
expired, and, with the exception of a few Canadians who had
repented their oath and skipped across the line, all reported at
Brattleboro, and returned to New Orleans June 3d. Eight
days later they were ordered to proceed to Morganzia and join
the forces concentrated there after the disastrous Red River
campaign. Here they suffered from the intense heat, but their

MAJOR JOHN L. BARSTOW,

REVIEWED BY SICKLES. 151

duties were light, and though the enemy hovered around in con
siderable numbers, they did not offer battle. On the nth of
June the Nineteenth Corps, to which the regiment belonged,
was reviewed by Gen. W. H. Emory, and on the I2th the regi
ment went down the river about twenty miles to capture or dis
perse the guerillas infesting that region ; but they fled at the
approach of the Union troops, and the regiment returned to
camp.

On the I4th instant Maj. Gen. D. E. Sickles, inspector gen
eral of the U. S. A., visited Morganzia and reviewed all the
troops. He was given a very enthusiastic reception ; for the
crutches borne by his orderly spoke eloquently of his gallant
services and personal sacrifices in the Union cause.

On the iQth, about midnight, the first division went on
board transports, and, with an escort of gunboats, proceeded up
the river to Tunica Bend, where the Confederates were
reported to be massed in considerable force. On landing, Col.
Thomas ordered his regiment to divide into small scouting
parties, which he sent in different directions.

One squad of half a dozen men, including Herbert E. Hill, of
Company I, and Herbert Butler, of Company H, climbed a high
point called Tunica Mount, and while ascending were suddenly
startled by a shot which cut Butler's clothing. This was
quickly followed by a second. But no enemy was in sight, and
when the party had gained the top by passing round on the
other side, they found a deserted signal station, from which
they concluded that the rebels had fired upon them and then
escaped. The height commanded a magnificent view of the
Mississippi for miles up and down, which well repaid the boys
for the toil of climbing. On the return they discovered a man
trying to set fire to a bridge across which the Federal cavalry
had ridden, for the purpose, it was presumed, of cutting off their
retreat. He was captured and brought before Col. Thomas, who
compelled him to confess what he knew that might prove ser
viceable to the Union cause.

At dark the several scouting parties returned on board the
boats, and were landed again at Fort Adams, Miss., the next

152 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

forenoon, where they again scoured the country, without finding
any trace of a hostile force ; and the regiment returned to Mor-
ganzia the next day and went into camp.

During the last days of June the camp wa*s full of rumors
that something was about to happen. It is usual for experi
enced soldiers to have an intuitive presentiment of important
campaigns or battles in which they are to participate. This
may possibly be due in a measure to an unusual activity notice
able at headquarters, the going and coming of orderlies and
messengers, and the ominous silence of officers when questioned
concerning the future movements of the troops. In this
instance suspicion ripened into certainty when the order came
to prepare three days' cooked rations. They were sure then
that a grand movement would soon follow ; but where, not even
the wisest old campaigner was able to predict.

July 26th, Capt. John B. Mead, of Company G, was promoted
to the vacancy made by Maj. Barstow's discharge. The latter,
along with Capt. D. S. Foster, Company F, and Capt. C. B.
Leach, Company D, was mustered out June 22d. Capt. Geo. N.
Carpenter, Company C, was discharged to be mustered as cap
tain and commissary of subsistence United States Volunteers.

The changes that had recently occurred in the several com
panies required the promotion of a number of deserving men
to higher rank ; and on the 26th of July the following commis
sions were issued : First Lieut. S. E. Howard, Company H,
captain of Company C ; First Lieut. Alfred E. Getchell, Com
pany D, captain ; First Lieut. W. H. Smith, Company F, cap
tain ; First Lieut. John M. Pike, Company G, captain ; Sec
ond Lieut. Edward F. Gould, Company D, first lieutenant.

GOING NORTH.

July 2cl the regiment was again ordered to break camp and go
aboard the waiting transports, and the next day they reached
Algiers. Remaining here until the morning of the fifth, the
men were ordered aboard the ocean steamer St. Mary, and
were carried down the river under sealed orders. This meant

WEITZEL'S PARTING. 153

farewell to Louisiana ; and after passing over the bar at the
mouth of the river, Col. Thomas opened the packet and found
their point of destination to be Fortress Monroe. The captain
of the St. Mary declared that his vessel was not seaworthy,
and protested against attempting the voyage. But Col.
Thomas, who had never learned to disobey orders, firmly
insisted, and left the timid seaman no choice.

Fine weather insured a safe passage, but the regiment had
a sad experience. Herbert Butler, of Company H, died on
board, and his comrades lost in him a noble boy and brave
soldier. He had been ill for some time before the regiment
started, but insisted on going North with his company. When
he realized that his end was near, he called his intimates around
him and begged that his body should not be committed to the
sea, but should be sent home to his mother. This, his last
request, was executed.

On leaving Louisiana the regiment parted with Gen. Weitzelr
to whom the men had become greatly attached, and entered
another command, while he was ordered to Virginia. His
brigade formed in line, and as he rode in front of them for the
last time, gave him hearty, though sad, parting cheers. The fol
lowing tribute to his character and worth is contributed by
Quartermaster Fred. E. Smith, of Gen. Weitzel's staff :

Godfrey Weitzel, long known and much respected as the first
commander of Weitzel's Reserve Brigade, was lieutenant of
engineers in the regular army, and, March loth, was appointed
chief engineer on Gen. Butler's staff. On arriving at New
Orleans he was made assistant military commandant, and was
acting major of the city. August 25th, he was made superin
tendent of exchange of prisoners. In the discharge of his
official duties both before and during the war he had become so
familiar with the topography of the state of Louisiana and the
fortifications of the Mississippi, that, when he was commis
sioned brigadier general of volunteers, it was fitting that he
should take command of the first brigade organized for active
service in the field, in the department of the Gulf.

154 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

It was the privilege of the Eighth Vermont Regiment to be
long connected with Gen. Weitzel's brigade, and both officers
and men learned to esteem him highly for his personal qualities
and military knowledge. His kindliness of heart won their love ;
his ability and skilful management gained their confidence ;
his careful provision for their wants and comfort inspired their
trust in his sagacity and prudence. So much did both officers
and men come to rely on their young commander, that it was a
common remark that the Eighth Vermont were always ready to
follow wherever he led. Throughout the marches and skirmishes
of the La Fourche, the Teche, the Attakapas, and the Red
River campaigns, Weitzel's commands were readily accepted,
and met with a prompt and cheerful obedience from the Green
Mountain boys who served under him. It would be easy to
recall many instances in which comrades of these companies
received his compliments and hearty thanks for the meritorious
discharge of the duties to which he had assigned them.

Gen. Weitzel was a young man to hold so responsible a posi
tion, and well do the boys remember the scene in Camp Stevens,
when over a hundred officers of the regiments of his command
called to congratulate him on his twenty-seventh birthday. He
requested his staff officers, all of whom were older than himself,
to aid in entertaining his guests ; and never had they seen him
come so near showing the " white feather," and having his
wonted gravity of manner disturbed. When an officer pro
posed the sentiment : " To the gallant young brigadier general,
Godfrey Weitzel," etc., he modestly exclaimed : " This is not
an official occasion, gentlemen. Please call me G. Weitzel, lieu
tenant of engineers." It was about this time that he was noti
fied of his promotion to captain of engineers, and he received
the announcement with the quiet remark : " It 's all right, I have
earned it, and am entitled to it; but this 'brigadier general'
commission I have yet to earn."

Gen. Weitzel was quick to recognize merit in men and regi
ments, and on many occasions he cheered the hearts of the
soldiers by complimenting their behavior, and assuring them of
his confidence in their courage and endurance. When asked

Forbes Co.

GEN. GODFREY WEITZEL

A REMEMBRANCE. 155

by consulting generals if such or such a march, dash, or attack
could be successfully made, he was wont to reply, " Yes, with
my Eighth Vermont, Twelfth Connecticut, and Seventy-fifth
and One Hundred and Sixtieth New York, I have no fears
for the result." He took pleasure also in the fact that the Eighth
Vermont had in its ranks men of every trade and profession.
When Gen. Butler once asked: "Weitzel, how is it that all
your staff departments are in such perfect order, and their papers
so correctly and promptly returned ? " he quickly answered :
" Sir, I have in my brigade men competent to transact any kind
of business, so I simply appoint my staff, and leave each man
to carry out the details and manage his own department."
While going down to Donaldsonville, after the surrender of
Port Hudson, Col. Thomas, worn out and sick, swooned in
the steamer's cabin. On being revived, Gen. Weitzel said
to him : " I have several times advised you to take a leave
of absence to recruit your wasted strength ; now I order you
to do so, for I must have you saved to this command."

The general was born in Cincinnati in 1835, was graduated
from West Point in 1855, and died in Philadelphia in 1883. He
was emphatically the soul of his command, and the subjoined
letter testifies to the pleasant remembrances he always retained
of them. It was written in answer to an invitation to attend
the reunion of Vermont officers.

DETROIT, MICH., Oct. i, 1880.

My Dear Sir : My duties here, and the sad condition of my eyes, forbid
my acceptance of your invitation to meet the Vermont officers at their annual
reunion; but I beg you will convey to them my kind remembrances, espe
cially to your brave old commander, Gen. Thomas (who I hope is alive and
well), and to the members of the gallant old Eighth Regiment. She was
always reliable, and I have good reason to remember the readiness with
which she sprang to every duty. Our old boys are so scattered that I
rarely see any of them now, but shall ever remember them with pleasure.

Yours with esteem,

G. WEITZEL.

To LIEUT. FRED E. SMITH, Montpelier, Vt.

VII.

TO THE SHENANDOAH.

IT was the destiny of the Eighth Vermont Regiment to have
a varied experience during the period of its active military
service. The January rigors of a northern New England winter
were exchanged for a semi-tropical climate, and the passage was
made on a stormy sea. It was lovely mid-summer when the
regiment returned along the same coast, and found the waves
smoothed before their sliding keel.

They did not leave the St. Mary, on which they had embarked
at New Orleans, until it dropped anchor in the river in front of
the city of Washington. On reaching Fortress Monroe, where
Col. Thomas had been ordered to report, he received further
instructions to continue his voyage, and report to the secretary
of war. This opened to the regiment a new field of operations,
and brought the men into association with troops and officers
to whom they had hitherto been strangers. For three years
had they been marching and fighting in a country abounding
in swamps and malaria ; their future work lay in one of the
most delightful and healthful sections of the Union.

At Fortress Monroe Col. Thomas landed in a small boat
and received his orders. While returning to the vessel he was
hailed by Gen. Emory, of the Nineteenth Corps, who had just
arrived and wanted to know what was to be done, for he had
not reported, and of course knew nothing at that time about the
order to Washington. But the St. Mary was ready to sail, con
sequently Thomas and the Eighth Vermont reached the capital

OUT FROM WASHINGTON. 157

on the 1 3th of July, 1864, somewhat in advance of the rest of
the corps. Leaving his men to disembark, the colonel hastened
at once to report to the war department. Secretary Stanton
expressed gratification at his timely arrival, and designated his
command the advance of the Nineteenth Corps. Gen. Early
was then menacing the city, which was almost defenceless for
lack of troops, and it was feared that the capital might be
captured. Col. Thomas immediately received his orders, and
marched his men through the city in the direction of George
town. As they passed the White House President Lincoln
was in sight and saluted them by lifting his hat. The courtesy
was returned with three rousing cheers and a tiger.

The force under Col. Thomas included besides his own men
remnants of several other regiments, and, passing Fort Reno,
they encamped that night at Tennallytown, Rockville. On the
14th the march was continued to Poolsville, near the river,
where the troops remained until the i6th. Then pushing
westward, the men waded across the Potomac at White's
Ford, and went into camp near Leesburg in the evening,
after a dusty and fatiguing march. Here the colonel re
ceived orders to search the town for concealed Confederates
and arms. On the following morning, which was Sunday, he
entered the streets, and, having disposed his men so as to
command all the approaches to the town, proceeded to execute
his work. A considerable number of prisoners was taken into
custody and secured. Among them was a soldier in gray
whom Sergt. Lamb, of Company I, recognized as his own
cousin.

Having retired from Maryland, Gen. Early was at Snicker's
Gap, in the Blue Ridge, and thither the Eighth Vermont was
ordered to follow him on the i8th. But when the place was
reached in the afternoon, it was found that the enemy had
retreated over the mountain just in season to avoid them.
From this time until the meeting of the two armies at the bat
tle of Opequon in September, Thomas and his regiment had an
experience not unlike that which many of them might have
heard their grandfathers speak of having in Revolutionary times,

158 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

— marching and countermarching; pursuing the enemy, but
having no decisive engagement ; hurried hither and thither on
long, toilsome tramps, without being allowed time for sleep or
rations. The sun was extremely hot, the roads dusty and
sandy, and the men were thoroughly foot-sore and jaded.

On the next advance the regiment climbed the mountains
east of the Shenandoah, and at daylight on the morning of the
2Oth forded the river into the beautiful valley which was to be
the scene of their greatest achievements. The tents were pitched
near the Berryville pike, not far from the spot where the enemy
had passed the previous night, and a house where Confederate
Gen. Breckenridge slept was pointed out to Col. Thomas. In
the afternoon a terrific thunderstorm and tornado swept over
the place, and one man belonging to a New York regiment was
killed by the lightning.

At sunset that night orders came to return again to Wash
ington as rapidly as possible. Accordingly, the troops retraced
the route by which they had just advanced, marched all night,
and did not make a halt until eleven o'clock on the morning of
the 2 1 st. When the men forded the river, they found the
stream, which was probably swollen by the afternoon rain, up
to their armpits, and as they climbed the banks on the moun
tain side with their shoes full of water, the sand worked into
them, and very soon the soldiers began to complain of blis
tered feet. In some cases, too, the soaking so demoralized
Uncle Sam's contract leather, that sole and upper parted, and the
poor wearers were obliged to trudge on in their stocking feet.

During that short mprning halt, coffee was made, but the
men had no solid food, and before they had time to drink it
orders came to " fall in," and they marched to Goose creek, a
small stream a few miles beyond Leesburg, and there rested
until afternoon. Then they pressed forward again until eleven
o'clock at night, when, thoroughly jaded, they dropped down
without any supper, and slept on their arms. The next morn
ing found them on the move again ; and, crossing the Potomac
at Chain bridge, they went into camp on a hill overlooking the
bridge, and remained there two nights.

TRAMP, TRAMP, TRAMP. , 159

On the 26th a march of nineteen miles was made to Ten-
nallytown on the Frederick pike, where the troops had bivou
acked on the first night after leaving Washington. The next
day the movement was ordered in another direction, and the
following night was spent at a place a little beyond Hyat-
town. The men camped without supper, and before the next
sunrise were marching again. Passing through Ubana, they
bivouacked at Monocacy Junction, where Early had whipped
Lew Wallace some twenty days before.

It was a zigzag, tiresome game they played there with the
wily enemy, for Gen. Early did not propose to quit that region
till he had severely worried his antagonist, even though he failed
to carry a secession flag into the capital of the United States.
At that stage of affairs, therefore, the only mode of dealing with
him was to follow him closely, and keep the hostile army at bay
as far as possible. Accordingly, Col. Thomas and his command
continued their devious route by fording the shallow river, and
moving towards Harper's Ferry on the 28th. Nineteen miles
of hard marching brought them to Halltovvn, where, tired and
hungry, they encamped, and enjoyed a good ration of beef and a
little fun at the expense of an old gentleman, who came to head
quarters inquiring for his lost cow. But her fate was sealed, and
he discovered no evidence of her bovine identity save in the
stew-pans beneath which the cooks were feeding the fires.

Harper's Ferry was reached on the 3Oth, and the troops were
ordered to climb Bolivar Heights. There they remained three
hours, not devoting their time to a leisurely survey of the
natural beauties commanded by that eminence, it is safe to
say ; then they all marched down again, and trudged thirteen
miles away to Jefferson, reaching the place about midnight.
A halt and a short nap, when the familiar "fall in ! " smote their
drowsy ears, and they were off again. On the last hot night of
the month, exhausted for lack of proper food and rest, the
weary Vermont boys passed through Frederick and chose a
camp near a water spring beyond. It had been a Sabbath-
day's journey, too, but longer than the ancient Hebrew rule
would have sanctioned. A herd of cattle was grazing near

l6o THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

by, and Col. Thomas sent word to Gen. Dvvight that if the
regiment was not supplied with meat, some of those sleek
animals would shed their hides before nightfajl. But pleasanter
thoughts than those of unsatisfied hunger came to the jaded
soldiers. The camp was pitched on high ground, from which
the men, on looking down into the streets of the town they had
passed, saw kindly women engaged in carrying water to another
body of Union troops which had halted there. The sight was
ravishing ; it reminded them of the clear, pure streams slipping
down their native hills, and they could not resist the tempta
tion to go thither and quench their intolerable thirst. The col
onel gave them a fatherly caution about over-drinking, and thus
saved many of his men from the consequences of excessive
indulgence. The meat supplies failed to arrive, and, after
waiting a proper time, the men were allowed to prey upon the
adjacent herd ; and for once, having borrowed some salt of a
grocer, the half-starved men "made a meal of it."

Few people, without having shared a soldier's experience, can
realize what it is to march day after day, as the Eighth Ver
mont men did those hot July days and nights. The excessive
fatigue, the grinding torture caused by loss of regular food and
sleep, and the long continued motion, are truthfully described
in the following paragraphs quoted from a Confederate soldier's
letter, published in a southern newspaper :

" It must be remembered that a soldier, with his rifle, ammunition, blan
ket, provisions, etc., is weighted down about fifty pounds, or over, and this
dead weight, instead of being distributed over the body, bears chiefly upon
the shoulders. ,

" Those who have never been there generally suppose that the actual
contact of battle is the hardest and most trying to the nerves and pluck in
the phases of a soldier's life. This is a fallacy. Many a time have I heard
my comrades express satisfaction, after a long and distressing march, at
having got at last within striking distance of the foe. I do not believe that
the man lives, or has lived, who could honestly say that he never felt fear
while on the eve of battle, or rather when first going under fire.

" But a forced march is a terror to the best of troops, no matter how well
they may have been disciplined. What do the readers of this paper sup
pose that a forced march means ? It means torture of mind and torture of
body ; it means a dull aching of every joint and bone and marrow of the

UNDER SHERIDAN. l6l

bones ; it means not simply utter weariness and pain, but an almost com
plete prostration of the physical powers ; it means that one falls asleep for
a minute while mechanically plodding along, to awake with a start while
staggering to a fall ; it means, when the ten minutes' rest comes at every
two miles, to sink down in one's tracks like an empty bag, and to be asleep
before you touch the ground. When the ten minutes' rest expires and the
command, ' Fall in ! ' is given, one awakes and gets up from mere force of
habit, and resumes the grinding task, stirfer and sorer, if possible, than
before.

"It means, finally, that one would barter a million cheerfully for an
hour's rest and sleep, and, while feeling bound to obey the inexorable com
mand, ' Forward/ one is in such a state of mental and physical wretchedness
that he is ready, almost, to curse God and die. And then, too, when the
day's march is concluded, sometimes far in the night, what must be the con
dition of those detailed to guard their sleeping comrades ? Surely no gal
ley slave was ever tortured like this !

" And such a march often occurred in the most inclement weather,
whether the sun was blazing hot, and the roads so dusty that one could not
see ten yards before him, or the air was bitter cold, and the snow and
slush a foot deep on the ground."

The experiences of the regiment during the month of August
were simply those of July repeated — hither and thither, to and
fro, over the familiar roads, varied, it may be observed, by a
tendency towards Winchester and the higher points in the valley
of the Shenandoah. But Maryland was not abandoned, and so
frequently did the Federal troops appear at that confluence of
the two great streams, that the army came to be designated as
"Harper's Weekly." But these movements did not long wear
the aspect of an aimless campaign ; for, on the loth instant, Gen.
Phil Sheridan .assumed the command, and then began the
initial marches in a masterly plan, which was to culminate in
the entire destruction of the Confederate power in the valley
which was the pride of Virginia.

THE VALLEY.

From the Potomac just below Harper's Ferry, the Blue Ridge

mountains have a south-southwesterly trend across the state

of Virginia. To the west is another irregular, but nearly parallel

range, known as the Kittatinny, or locally, as the Great North

ii

1 62 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

and Little North. Between these two mountain walls lies an
elevated valley having an average width of about twenty miles.
The northerly portion of this valley, (where the interest of
this volume now centres) is about a hundred miles in length,
measured from the northernmost bend of the Potomac to Staun-
ton. Roughly estimated, it includes an area equal to the por
tion of the state of Vermont lying between the Green Mountain
ridge and the Connecticut, and bounded north and south by the
parallels of Newbury and Brattleboro. In the very centre of this
inclosed territory rise several other rugged mountain spurs, the
highest ending abruptly on the north, and called Massanutten.

As the mountains round about Jerusalem gird a spot which
to the ancient Hebrew was a synonym for all that is lovely, so
these sentinel walls of western Virginia fence in a land of great
fertility and picturesque beauty. The southern portion abounds
in little water streams, which gradually draw together as they
flow northward into the Shenandoah, that joins the Potomac at
Harper's Ferry. In this charming valley nature with prodigal
hand has blended that " diversity in unity " which gives the
highest artistic effect. The general sweep of meadow and
pasture is everywhere broken by grand and rugged scenery ;
wooded heights relieve broad acres of the best of tillage land ;
comfort and plenty abound on every hand ; and the rich annual
crops are so bountiful, that the place has been long and widely
known as the granary of the Middle States.

When the war broke out, the Shenandoah valley had a thrifty,
industrious population ; good farms and busy mills afforded the
means of ample support, and the evidences of content and
prosperity were to be seen on every side. The larger centres
were connected by fine macadamized pikes and convenient
railroad lines, so that when it afterwards became the scene of
military operations, the armies and wagon-trains could be moved
to any desirable point with rapidity and ease.

Considering how often it has echoed to the clash of arms, this
smiling valley is worthy to be called a historic battle-ground.
Long before Batte explored it, or Spottswood, the " Tubal-Cain
of Virginia," visited it with the "Knights of the Golden

HISTORIC BATTLE-GROUND. 163

Horseshoe," tradition says it had been the scene of terrible
Indian wars, between the northern and southern tribes of the con
tinent. The original white settlers were Scotch-Irish and Ger
mans, and, according to the historian Kercheval, these Celts
and Teutons were far from friendly neighbors, and often en
gaged in sanguinary quarrels. On St. Patrick's day the Dutch-
men would march through the streets of Winchester in proces
sion, carrying effigies of the saint and his wife Sheeley, the
former decorated with a necklace of Irish potatoes, and his
spouse with an apron full of them. On St. Michael's day,
when the Germans glorified their patron saint, the Irishmen
would retaliate by exhibiting an effigy of that saint wearing a
necklace of sour-krout. These demonstrations often ended kt
fights, bloody noses, and broken heads.

Throughout the colonial period of American history, the~
record of life in the Shenandoah valley is one of bloodshed.
The white men were intruders on the heritage of the red men,,
and must fight. The tomahawk and scalping-knife assailed'
them as they planted and reaped. The foe burned their cabins,
murdered their strong men, and dragged their women and chil
dren into bondage and torture. In the autumn of 1775, when
the shadow of the Duquesne disaster darkened the whole fron
tier, Washington was sent to Winchester to defend the valley
against the savages. He found the place full of refugees and
confusion, and it was no easy task to reduce the chaos to order,
and put the country in a state of defence. A fort was built in
the suburbs of the town, named Fort Loudoun, mounted with
twenty-four cannon, and containing barracks for four hundred
and fifty men.

In the fall of 1859, intrepid John Brown, of Ossawatomie,
sacrificed two sons on the altar of freedom at the gateway of
the Shenandoah, and baptized it with their blood. From a
gibbet of infamy his soul went marching on, bearing the torch
of war through river gorge and mountain pass, through slimy
swamp and lonely bayou, till the shackles fell from the race for
whom he fought and perished, and the gate he sealed with
blood became a highway of liberty.

1 64 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

For years before the Eighth Vermont reached Winchester on
their zigzag road to martial glory, this rich valley had been
the source of food supplies for the Confederate army, and a
thoroughfare for the victorious troops of Johnston, Jackson,
Ashby, Lee, Breckenridge, Mosby, Elwell, Early, and other
•commanders, on their way to harass or invade the North. To
many a Federal general it had been the valley of humiliation,
on account of the defeats his forces had suffered. Neither
Patterson, Banks, Shields, Fremont, Milroy, Sigel, nor Crook,
had been able to destroy the enemy west of the Blue Ridge, or
drive the Confederate armies from that land of abundance,
where they gathered strength to prolong the conflict, and from
which they raided the other side of the Potomac and menaced
Washington.

But in those dark days, when Federal military operations
seemed destined to end in failure, relieved only by an occa
sional "masterly retreat," and loyal men began to feel discour
aged, a new chieftain entered the valley through John Brown's
blood-stained gate, who had power to reverse the fortunes of
war and cause victory to rest on the Union standards. From
the day that Gen. Phil Sheridan took the command, purpose,
and not fortuity, governed the march of Union troops along the
Shenandoah, and the reign of defiant rebellion drew rapidly to
a close. The jaded soldiers who rallied round his standard,
from the plodding campaigns of Louisiana or the vanquished
battle-fields of the Atlantic slope, found in this new theatre of
action the romance of the war. The service there might be
more exacting, the white heat of battle more terrible ; but the
greatest generalship on both sides was there to contend for
mastery, and victory, if achieved, would crown the conquerors
with laurels of glory.

It is not within the province of this volume to attempt to set
forth the masterly plan upon which Gen. Sheridan acted, or to
describe in detail the movements and achievements of that
mighty force of infantry, artillery, and horse, which he offi
cially designated the Army of the Shenandoah. All this has
been done repeatedly and well. But in following the fortunes

MAJOR H. M. POLLARD.

THE VALLEY CAMPAIGN. 165

of the Eighth Vermont it will be necessary to make frequent
references to the division and corps to which it belonged, and
in tracing its movements in the great battles of the valley very
brief allusions to the positions of the opposing armies will
enable the intelligent reader, with the aid of maps, to under
stand the subject.

Sheridan initiated his valley campaign by marching his
forces out of Halltown, just south of Harper's Ferry, towards
Winchester, on the morning of August loth. The Sixth Corps
moved through Charlestown to Clifton, there forming the right
infantry line, the Nineteenth Corps followed the Berryville
pike, until its right joined the left of the Sixth ; the Eighth
Corps proceeded through Cabletown to Berryville, coming up
on the left of the Nineteenth. An easy day's march brought
this army into a position which the commander thought strong
in itself and favorable for defence at any time, and disposed
the three corps in the order in which they were to advance.
Keeping in mind, then, that the Eighth Vermont belonged to
the Second Brigade (Gen. McMillan) in the first division of
the Nineteenth Corps, the reader will find it easy to follow its
subsequent movements.

Gen. Jubal Early was in command of the Confederate army
with which Gen. Sheridan had to cope, and was holding Win
chester when the Federal troops began the movement already
described. But the enemy was not ready to accept battle, and,
consequently, while Sheridan was moving out towards the Ope-
quon on the morning of the nth, Early was pressing beyond
Winchester in the direction of Cedar Creek and Strasburg.
For three days the two armies continued their marches up the
valley, neither inclining to offer battle, though there was con
stant and sharp skirmishing, especially by the cavalry, on both
sides. The part of the Eighth Vermont in this movement was,
a march and countermarch, and a brisk skirmish with the
enemy, on the nth; more skirmishing during a march via
Middletown to Cedar Creek, on the I2th; serving as grand
guard on the Front Royal pike, on the 1 3th.

566 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

At this stage of operations Sheridan learned that the enemy
held a strongly fortified position at Fisher's Hill, that they had
a signal station on the highest point of the Massanutten moun
tains, from which all his movements could be seen and reported,
that reinforcements were on the way and would soon join
Early ; and he deemed it prudent to retreat. Accordingly the
Nineteenth Corps began to retire on the night of the I5th,
which brought Col. Thomas into Winchester at daylight next
morning. He then pressed on to Berryville and Summit Hill,
constantly manoeuvring with the enemy for several days, and
arrived at Halltown again on the 2ist, and fortified his posi
tion. At first Sheridan attempted to make a stand near Berry
ville, but after a short engagement between the Sixth Corps and
the enemy, he withdrew his whole army to Halltown on the

2 I St.

So far as the country could determine from the reports of
this primary movement in the valley, the new commander, on
whom thousands of anxious and critical eyes were fixed, had
done like his predecessors in the same field, and fled before the
enemy. But in reality the case was somewhat better. In
moving back from Cedar Creek to Winchester, Torbert's Cav
alry, by direct order from Sheridan, had burned barns and
crops, laid the country waste, and seized all the horses, mules,
and cattle for the benefit of the army. This was a military
necessity, and, in reporting the act, Sheridan wrote to Gen.
Grant that he had " destroyed everything eatable south of
Winchester, and they [the Confederates] will have to haul
supplies from well up to/wards Staunton."

For several days Early seemed to be trying the strength of
the Union position at Halltown, while Sheridan remained
quiet ; then he feigned to be about to raid across the Potomac
again.' But having accomplished nothing of importance, the
Confederates moved up the valley again on the 26th instant,
and encamped at Bunker Hill. Two days later, the Federal
army followed on after Early, and the Eighth Vermont bivou
acked at Charlestown, the enemy being near at hand. What
was known as the Clifton-Berryville line was again occu-

SHERIDAN'S TIME. l6/

pied by the Union forces. There was some spirited fighting
between portions of the opposing lines during several succes
sive days, but no general engagement, and on the 4th of Sep
tember Early withdrew his whole army across the Opequon.
Then for ten days more the same position was held, and the
skirmishing continued with unabated vigor.

But while enduring this exhausting life, in which the regi
ment seemed to be simply marching against time, several
worthy men were cheered by the receipt of commissions.
First Lieut. John Bisbee, Company B, was made captain ;
Wheaton Livingston, Jr., Company B, first lieutenant; Henry
Carpenter, Company F, first lieutenant.

Why " Little Phil " waited so long, acting only on the defen
sive, the public could not understand, and many messages of
distrust reached his ears, while the lookers-on clamored loudly
for him to "do something." But Sheridan knew what he was
waiting for, and when at length assurance came that the enemy
had been weakened by the long-expected withdrawal of Ker-
shaw, he was aware that the moment for aggressive action had
arrived, and remarked : "Our time has come."

VIII.

BATTLE OF OPEQUON.

GEN. SHERIDAN decided to attack Gen. Early in front of
Winchester, on the iQth.of September, and by taking the
aggressive to bring on a general engagement between the two
armies. In accordance with his plan of operations the Union
troops began to move out from Berryville at two o'clock in the
morning, and the manoeuvres which at length brought the
Eighth Vermont into action will be made sufficiently clear by
following the route of the Nineteenth Corps to its position on
the battle-ground.

Winchester is a little more than ten miles west of Berry
ville, and the two towns are connected by a macadamized turn
pike, which about six miles out from Berryville crosses Opequon
creek, and enters a narrow defile or canon that soon opens upon
the wider valley and undulating ground, on which the
troops were deployed. The Opequon, after which Gen. Sheri
dan named his famous' battle, to distinguish it from other Win
chester engagements, is a small stream which flows in a north
erly direction to the Potomac. On each side of the canon it
receives an affluent which rises on the higher land beyond
Winchester. The north branch is called Red Bud Run, the
south Abraham's Creek, and between them, on both sides of the
pike, lies the battle-ground. The general surface is broken
and rolling, and interspersed with belts of woods between open
spaces. But just in front of the town the land slopes up to a
plateau, gradually rising higher on the left towards Front Royal

THE FIRST CLASH. 169

pike, and on this the main body of Early's army was stationed
to resist the Union attack.

In telling this simple story, it is not necessary to set forth
the entire plan of battle that has been so graphically described
in more comprehensive works. The well-informed reader, and
certainly every veteran survivor of that terrible struggle, is
familiar with the routes along which the cavalry advanced, and
the three infantry corps and artillery followed, into position on
the field. He knows that Wilson's mounted brigades swept
through the Berryville canon in the early morning, driving the
enemy from the outposts, and clearing the way, while Col.
Thomas, with the Eighth Vermont, after being detained in the
gorge, arrived at the front just before ten, and went into
position with the second division (Grover's) in the first line of
battle, and the first division (Dwight's) held in reserve.

On the left of the Nineteenth Corps the Sixth had already
formed, with the third division (Ricketts's) on the right of the
pike. The Eighth Corps, also, which had been assigned to the
right of the Union line, was moving up along Red Bud Run.

Such was the position of Sheridan's infantry when, twenty
minutes before mid-day, a grand advance was ordered across an
open belt of ground to the woods and clearing beyond, and the
battle became general and deadly. The Sixth was soon driv
ing the Confederates Ramseur and Rodes back over an almost
open field, while Grover's division made a sharp attack on
Gordon from the covert of the woods. At first Gordon's line
fell back, and, inspired by their success, Grover's brigades
charged forward under a withering fire ; but the enemy
received a strong reinforcement, the success was reversed, and
both Grover and Ricketts were forced back with terrible loss.
In this repulse the Fourteenth New Hampshire, belonging to
Grover's second brigade, was so nearly annihilated that the
lines were completely broken, and, while the remnants of the
companies wandered away and disappeared, the color guard
remained on the field, still bearing their signals aloft, and when
the Eighth Vermont came into action, took a place in the color
company of that regiment.

I/O THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

When Gen. Emory's second division fell back, the first,
which had been held in reserve, was orderejj to the front, and
the Eighth Vermont and Twelfth Connecticut relieved Col.
Molineux, who had retreated under a murderous fire, and were
ordered forward with Company F, Capt. W. H. Smith, deployed
as skirmishers. Over that bloody ground, strewn with the dead
and wounded of both armies, these companion regiments ad
vanced at the command of Col. Thomas, amid the most fearful
storm of shot and shell they had ever encountered. For three
mortal hours they stubbornly held the exposed position, while
the ranks were thinned, and the hot carnage raged on every
hand. They stood the test without flinching, and many a brave
deed was there enacted, an account of which is given in the
pages that follow.

The climax in this terrible day, as all the world knows, was
reached at three in the afternoon, when the Confederates, who,
from a strong vantage ground, had been fighting with despe
rate energy under skilful leaders, began to give way under the
persistent hammering of " Little Phil." When that supreme
moment came, and Crook's superb column like a mountain ava
lanche poured down upon the exhausted enemy, it brought an
opportunity for the Eighth Vermont to render a signal service,
and win thereby a lasting record on the scroll of fame. An
inspiration, such as sometimes comes to men under great pres
sure, seized Col. Thomas and carried him whither it would.
Notwithstanding the orders were to hold his ground, he charged
with his regiment, follo/wed by the Twelfth Connecticut, be
yond the rest of his corps, beyond every other Union line, in
fact, and broke the enemy's front ; and using this position as
a pivot, the right and left wings of Sheridan's victorious army
swung like huge jaws against the vanquished Early, putting his
broken lines to flight and utter rout.

Concerning this famous charge, which seemed to have been
the turning-point of the day, Greeley says : " Col. Thomas,
Eighth Vermont, ordered his men to charge at double-quick
with the bayonet. In vain general officers shouted ' Halt ! '
' Lie down ! ' ' Wait for supports ! ' etc. ; for, while some were

ACCOUNTS OF THE BATTLE. I /I

still confused and vacillating, a staff officer from the right gal
loped in front, and pointed with his sabre to the woods which
sheltered the enemy. At once, all dissent was silenced, all
hesitation at an end ; the whole centre, as one man, swept
forward cheering and plunging into the woods, meeting there
Crook's corps, charging from the flank. All the rebels who
could still travel were by this time going or gone."

The record of the Eighth Vermont in the battle of Opequon
appears as a " twice-told tale " in subsequent pages. The first
account is contributed to the volume by Capt. S. E. Howard,
of Company C, who bore an honorable part in the masterly
struggle which made the gallant Sheridan a leader of heroes.,
The second account is from the pen of Col. Herbert E. Hill, who
entered with enthusiasm into the very front and heat of the
deadly strife when the first guns were fired, and was close on the
flying enemy's rear when the last Confederate shot announced
their utter defeat. Each writer has told the story in his
own way, and while the first has the wider scope, the second
relates what has rarely if ever appeared in print, what a soldier
in the ranks beholds as he advances into the thick of the fight.

But before these sketches of the fight are introduced, it is
fitting that a brief tribute should be paid to the exemplary hero
ism of four young men from Winchester, N. H., who have
already been alluded to, and who joined the Eighth Vermont in
the gallant charge that capped the climax of the day.

Francis H. Buff um, now widely known as Maj. Buffum, on the
staff of the Boston Herald, Charles G. Howard, Henry E. Bald
win, and Henry A. Wood, were the color bearers who, when
their regiment went to pieces, carried their deserted standard
to the side of that on which the Eighth Regiment of their sister
state aligned, and voluntarily shared with them the dangers of
the front, when they might have retired without incurring the
slightest stigma of cowardice. As a unique act of bravery on
the field this deed is worthy of the highest praise. They were
mere boys who, before that day, could scarcely be said to have
been under fire ; but they behaved like veterans, and, forgetful

1/2 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

of peril, refused to be swept away with their broken lines, and
added the influence of their personal courage. to the inspiration
which broke the enemy's front, and insured the victory. While
his regiment was under the terrific morning fire, Maj. Buffuni
exhibited his coolness and pluck by standing up while the en
tire line lay prostrate on the ground ; and requesting his three
comrades also to lie down, he said : " Boys, if I fall, do n't forget
that I did my duty." At the request of the historian, Maj.
Buffum has writen for these pages the following lively descrip
tion of the scenes in which the homeless color guard of the
Fourteenth New Hampshire participated.

AS OTHERS SEE US.

A regimental history is written, generally, from an inside
point of view. Yet it may be well to vary its pages with the
paragraphic glimpse of the outside eye and pen. I gladly stand
for such an outsider, although, in my present mood, I feel very
much identified with the Eighth Vermont, an organization
dearer to me than any other save my own. It was my good
fortune to occupy a position during the whole of the afternoon
on the sanguinary field of the Opequon, where I could critically
observe the conduct of the Eighth Vermont, and I desire to
give in my testimony. Fortunate indeed were the battle-tossed
waifs from your sister state that the eye of your commander
was upon us, and that his memory is yet clear concerning our
conduct on that field, for our own regiment knew nothing of
our whereabouts.

The Fourteenth New Hampshire, battered by the shells of
Fitz Lee, drenched in its best blood, had been whirled out of
organized existence by a reinforced foe, after a splendid and
triumphant charge, which opened the battle, by the infantry.
Struck three times by shell and bullet, though not seriously, I
had a sense of being hurled out from "the jaws of death," and
having passed through "the gates of hell." In an hour I had
lived a lifetime, and life itself from that hour was a different
thing. The colors of the Fourteenth were not lost, as supposed,,

TWIN COLORS. 173

for four men saved, guarded, and kept them on the fighting
line till the sun set on victory and a routed enemy, "whirling
through Winchester." Those men — all from my Company F,
-all from my native town — were, Charles G. Howard, Henry E.
Baldwin, Henry A. Wood, and the writer. We were not dazed,
not bewildered, but uncertain. The sweat of battle had lim
bered us well, and given the spirit a victory over fear. We
retreated to find a line, for at that time the colors of the Four
teenth New Hampshire were nearer the now jubilant Johnnies'
than any others. Howard wanted to hunt up the remnants of
•our own regiment, but I insisted that the attempt was useless,
and urged turning to our right, as we retreated, into a belt
•of timber and "falling in" with some other regiment. We
were all anxious to keep our colors in the fight and to the front
•of it. We enjoyed the full opportunity sought for.
, Passing along the rear of one regiment we came to the Eighth
Vermont, which held the advance line of the Union position.
Your history tells the story of our adoption. The initiatory
rite by which our identity with you for the day was sealed, was
a genuine baptism of blood and carnage, the enemy's shells
plunging into and rending the ranks at the moment of our
"muster in."

Never shall I forget the appearance of the Eighth as we first
saw you there, couchant, in the verge of the wood. It was
the terrible majesty of a readiness for conflict, an assurance of
tremendous possibilities, of a thorough appreciation of the situ
ation, a coolness that was awful when illumined by the fire in
•every eye down the line. That line testified to the sublime
energy of a disciplined body of men, sure to obey orders and
impatient for the word.

There I first met Stephen Thomas, and now I need not force
or trim a sentence to gloss his reputation. Fulsome adulation
•of such a man is senseless phrasing. I saw him, as with the
ease and composure of a veteran fighter he gathered for heroic
work ; as he moved his line out into that open field which had
just proved so fatal to the first line of attack; as he moved
under the quick, hot fire of the foe ; as with excellent judgment

174 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

he guided his regiment, with a rapid dash, well into the plain ;.
and then, — "Halt! lie down!" Still on hi« horse, he swept
the field with accurate, reconnoitring eye. Not near enough to-
the vaunting Johnnies, — not yet within easy range of those
piled up rails from behind which belched smoke and death, —
the line must be pushed out, judiciously, but farther, — " Atten
tion, old Vermont ! "

It was n't a "tiger spring," nor anything of the sort, but it
was a brilliant, mighty onsweep of a well-handled, eager battal
ion, moving with an intelligent, irresistible dash, through the
hollow, across the little "run" -just far enough, for when
Thomas was under fire impetuosity never trampled upon judg
ment. For two hours the regiment lay there, giving and taking
in well-borne battle, fighting with zest, Col. Thomas scorning
the precautions he demanded of his men. On that field he
showed that personal bravery, military talent, and the power to-
command men, which are the crowning excellences in war.
The officers and men were welded into a homogeneous body, an
admirably disciplined force, sensitive to the controlling will,—
a splendid line of hardy, heroic fighters.

In this connection one incident of that afternoon should not
drop into oblivion. Some sorely wounded men lay away to
the front between the lines in a spot crossed by the fire of both
armies. Several of the Eighth asked permission to go to the
relief of their suffering comrades. This was denied, for pru
dential reasons. At last one man was allowed to creep out on
his mission of alleviation, but " on his own responsibility," as.
the venture was worse than perilous. It was a plucky act, a
noble sacrifice to soldierly charity. I did not learn his name
or fate.

It was about half-past three o'clock when the rebel fire slack
ened in front of the Eighth, and most of the men were brought
to their feet by a prolonged cheer half a mile away, to our rear
and right. A long line of battle was sweeping up towards the
enemy's left. The colors of the battalions in the advancing
line, for a moment, aligned on those of the Eighth and Four
teenth, and we caught a glimpse of the splendid emulation of

"STEADY, OLD VERMONT!" 175

the charge as one regiment vied with another, making undula
tions in the line of colors, crowding the foe. Now comes the
crowning triumph of the Eighth Vermont. Thomas under
stood the situation and was ready for the emergency. The
story of that charge is vividly pictured in this volume. It had
much to do with the success of the day. In the momentum of a
magnificent advance the regiment was carried to the edge of the
timber which had just previously sheltered the rebel line, then
through the timber into the most murderous fire of the day.
But it was the last. In a tempest of lead Thomas gathered his
command, aligned it, and was ready to again move on, but the
position was won, — the rebels had retreated to their last line.

I can still hear, echoing in the halls of memory, that clear,
unwavering voice of grand command : " Steady, old Vermont ! "
Vermont was there, and Vermont was steady; and the best
spirit of that noble state breathed that day in the voice of
Stephen Thomas. I was proud to grasp his hand — after
twenty-one years — on the very spot where, in the emergency
of battle, he gave us his benediction as we left you to restore to
our own Fourteenth its mourned-for colors. I am proud of the
honor accorded me of assisting Gen. Thomas and Col. Hill in
locating on that field your monument, marking the ground
where your heroic charge culminated, a spot forever hallowed
by the consecration of spirit and the spilling of blood by the
Eighth Vermont ; ground made beautifully conspicuous hence
forth by a monument which perpetuates the patriotic devotion
of your veterans, and the noble munificence of one of your
worthiest comrades.

CAPT. HOWARD'S STORY.

As the Eighth Vermont Regiment lay in camp at Berry ville,
Va., on Sunday, September i8th, 1864, a careful observer might
have noted an unusual air of expectancy in their faces and de
meanor. The men, many of them, were gathered in groups,
engaged in grave and earnest conversation. Some were writing
letters to parents, brothers, sisters, wives, and sweethearts,.

'i;6 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Others did those last things which thoughtful men are apt to
do, when oppressed with a presentiment of ^coming evil. The
camp was remarkably quiet, and every countenance wore a seri
ous aspect.

This unwonted gravity was evidently something apart from
any feeling that the sanctity of the day would be likely to im
pose, and to a civilian the cause of it would have seemed wholly
inadequate. No startling orders had been issued, nor had the
apparent relations to the enemy materially changed. Gen.
•Grant was in consultation, that was all ; but to the expe
rienced soldier the presence of the commander-in-chief was a
grim and terrible omen. For more than a month we had
been apparently playing at war. When the enemy retreated,
we advanced ; when he advanced in force, we fell back to Hall-
town and entrenched for miles, as if we expected to withstand a
siege ; but the moment the enemy withdrew a part of his force
in our front, we advanced again. Some of our new recruits
thought it would be ever thus, and the wish may have been
father to the thought. But the Vermont soldiers were thinking
men, and those who had seen long service know the time must
be near at hand when the magnificent army under Gen.
Philip H. Sheridan must strike a masterly blow for the Union.
Hence there were many grave faces in the camp of the Eighth
Regiment that bright Sunday morning. Col. Thomas, desiring
some religious service, in the absence of a chaplain, called on
Quartermaster Dewey, who read an appropriate service from
'the prayer-book. We believed, we hoped, we feared the time
had come.

No better troops ever faced a cannon than ours. Under the
leadership of our gallant Col. Thomas, the bravest man I ever
saw, we had never flinched. If we had ever felt timid, or
desired to shirk danger, the impulse was repressed ; for no
man could falter under the calm eye of Col. Thomas. We had
been so proud of his leadership, and of Gen. Weitzel's cordial
.approval of our conduct, that I believe the fear of death was a
secondary consideration. No man, unless he is a fool or brute,
.goes into battle without very grave feelings oppressing him,

MARCHING TO WINCHESTER. 177

and the best soldier is sometimes terribly frightened ; but
the brave man is he who so holds his fears in subjection as
to be able to say, and prove his words, "Death before dis
honor ! "

History tells that on this Sunday, after a long interview with
Sheridan, in which he found him fully prepared to take the
aggressive, and only waiting the order to attack the enemy,
Gen. Grant gave him the order in two words : " Go in." Late
in the afternoon we received command to be ready to move in
light marching order at two o'clock Monday morning, equipped
with two days' cooked rations and a hundred rounds of car
tridges to each man.

At the appointed time the march was begun under cover of
the darkness, and as we filed out of camp the column turned
toward Winchester. While halting for a little rest just after
daybreak, we first heard that sound which I believe strikes a
chill through the bravest man that lives, and causes him to
feel that his heart is sinking down, down, till it seems to drop
into his boots. I mean the dull rustling of air which is hardly
more than a vibration, but which to the experienced listener
betokens artillery firing at a distance. When one expects soon
to join in the exercises, that signal is not inspiriting. As we
advanced, the sound grew more distinct and ominous. Pressing
forward at a rapid march we entered a deep, wooded gorge, and
while there got the order to quick-step and then to double-
quick, while the noise of fierce strife beyond and out of the
woods gave a fearful meaning to the haste with which we were
urged forward. In this defile was established a hospital ; and
as the regiment passed, we saw the surgeons taking out and
examining the bright, keen knives ; and on a table was a victim
undergoing amputation of the leg, while other mangled men,
and pools of blood, showed too plainly what was going on at the
front. I must confess to " feeling pale " at that sickening sight,
and I distinctly saw the men turn a shade whiter as they
hurried on. I believe it was a mistake, locating the hospital
where the men must see these sights before going into action.

178 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

And now let me sketch briefly the plan of battle, and the
events that had already transpired. The ravkie through which
we were passing led to a steep and thickly-wooded crest,
beyond which lay an irregular, rolling valley, on the further
side of which was the enemy's stronghold, formed by a heavy
belt of woods in the centre, which was amply fortified, and a
series of bluffs or heights extending to right and left, and at one
point by a long ledge of rock, all forming a complete natural
protection for troops. In the background rose the heights of
Winchester. Early's army lay diagonally across the mouth of
the ravine, through which our army must pass, his left being
held nearer the gorge than his right, with the evident purpose,
as developed by his actions, to let a part of our army through,
and then, by throwing his whole weight upon it, to crush it
before the remainder could be made available. He came fear
fully near success.

Sheridan's plan of attack, as carried out, was to hold this
gorge at all hazard, fight the enemy's centre sharply so as to
draw from his left, and then with the Eighth Corps and the
cavalry crush his left. In obedience to this plan Grover's sec
ond division of the Nineteenth Corps (our corps), and Ricketts's
division of the Sixth Corps, had been pushed forward over the
steep hills and through the thick woods, beyond which was a
rolling valley, at the farther edge of which lay the rebel strength.
Struggling through this thick forest, in face of a heavy artillery
fire, the lines emerged under a fierce fire of musketry. But
with great impetuosity t'hey swept across the valley, and strik
ing the enemy heavily near his centre, forced him back some
five hundred yards, and for the time seemed likely to end the
battle then and there.

But Early's strongest troops were massed at that point, and,
at the moment when the victory seemed almost won, a large
body of the enemy suddenly appeared and attacked our two
divisions with great fury ; and, to add to their discomfiture, not
only was the attack made in front, but their advanced position
exposed them to a heavy enfilading fire from both flanks of
the enemy. They fought most stubbornly, as the dead and

UNDER WITHERING FIRE.

wounded on both sides testified, but their position was simply
untenable, and they were forced back towards the gorge.
From a retreat their repulse soon became almost a rout ; and
it was only by the most desperate and gallant exertions of
general, staff, and field officers, that organizations were held
together at all, and in some instances even these efforts failed
for the time being.

It was just at this juncture that, after having been held in
reserve for a few minutes, we were moved to the right and
formed in line of battle on the slope of the thick wooded crest.
Ours was the second brigade in the first division, and in mili
tary experience I have never seen a situation more appalling
than was presented at the time our reserve was called into
action. The enemy was pressing heavily with both artillery
and infantry, and the ground was strewn with the dead and
dying, for both forces had been driven over it. Commanders
were making heroic, but, for the most part, vain efforts to stem
the tide, which seemed to be surely setting against us. Amid
this confusion and disaster, our division moved forward under
cover of the trees. It was a thick wood, but the shot and shell
screamed fearfully ; yet our line advanced handsomely. A shell
bursting near our colors killed two men and wounded several
others, and just then the whole regimental line seemed to recoil
from the terrible fire to which it was exposed, but recovered
in a moment under Col. Thomas's stentorian " Steady, men ! "
Lieut. Col. Button, while gallantly urging forward the men, had
his arm shattered by a musket shot, and was taken off the
field.

At this point we reached the border of the wooded crest, and
looked out upon the valley and the stronghold beyond. The
fire was withering, — scorching ; and here occurred one of
those cool, brave actions which no soldier who saw it can ever
forget. Above the roar of the battle a murmur was heard. It
was not a cheer, nor was it a shout, but more an exclamation
of surprise and admiration, as, mounted on his dapple gray, with
hat and bridle-rein in his left hand, his unsheathed sword at

ISO THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

"attention," and moving at a moderate walk in front of the line,
rode our grand old corps commander, Gen. Emory. Without a
word, with a perfectly calm and unmoved Demeanor, like a
statue of stone, but with his eyes keenly scanning the ranks,
he passed from one end of the line to the other, while the terri
ble storm of death pelted pitilessly about him. The effect was
electric and wonderful, and the weakest man among us felt
that he could and would dare anything after this brave act of
the old soldier. Men who doubted a moment before, knew now
that we should advance and succeed.

Half-way between this crest and the strong point of timber
held by the enemy, a weak line of infantry which had been
saved from the wreck lay on the ground firing feebly, while the
enemy crowded overwhelmingly upon it. This line must be
relieved, and two regiments, the Eighth Vermont and the
Twelfth Connecticut, were ordered for the work. As we
emerged from the border of the forest upon the open ground,
we were greeted with a shower of lead and iron ; but our blood
was up, no one looked back, and we rushed into position.
This position we held more than three hours under a continu
ous and heavy fire of musketry. We were apparently some
what protected by the rolling nature of the ground, but the
bullets of the enemy often found us out, and occasionally a man
was hit. Company I especially suffered, being in a more
exposed position than the most of the line.

Many acts of personal daring occurred during that three
hours' work. Many of the dead and wounded of both armies
lay close to us, and at imminent risk to their own lives our men
relieved the sufferers, both friend and foe, with a drink of water
or a lift into an easier position.

During the first hour stray bullets kept coming from our
left, enfilading our line, and causing much nervousness ; for a
soldier, however bravely he may endure the shots in front, can
not bear with composure a flank fire. Taking a gun from one
of the slain, one of our officers passed down to the left of our
regiment and watched for this cross-fire, and soon saw three
rebels in a clump of bushes at long range. Resting his rifle

A PRAYER AND A CHARGE. l8l

on a stump he waited till one showed himself again, when he
fired, and then called the attention of several men to the clump,
desiring them also to watch. Soon two of the men were seen
carrying off the third, when the squad fired at them, and there
was an end of the pestering cross-fire.

Three o'clock came, and with it the supreme moment.
The Eighth Corps under Gen. Crook had gained a position on
our right, from which to crush the enemy's left. A general
advance was ordered ; but the line in front of us being consid
ered too strong to charge, Col. Thomas had been ordered to
hold his position until the advance had been made on either
side. Suddenly on our right burst forth the deep, fierce yell
our soldiers uttered when going in to win. It continued some
moments, and at the same time there burst upon our ears the
sound of the most continuous and terrible fire of musketry I
had ever heard. Looking in the direction of the sounds we
saw Crook's line advancing. It was magnificent but terrible ;
moving in quick time with banners unfurled, and firing rapidly
by file, they marched upon our right and flung their columns on
the hidden foe. The carnage was awful. Men could be dis
tinctly seen dropping from the ranks, and the field was strewn
with the dead and wounded in their rear ; but the line never
faltered, never wavered.

At the first sound of the advance Col. Thomas was in the
saddle, and said, "We ought to drive them out of the woods."
But the orders were to remain where he was. As the success
ful charge swept on, he could stand it no longer, and forget
ting everything except his determination to take the woods,
he rode in front of the colors and shouted : " Boys, if you
ever pray, the time to pray has come. Pray now, remem
ber Ethan Allen and old Vermont, and we '11 drive 'em to
hell ! Come on, old Vermont ! " And with his sword held
aloft he headed his horse for the wood, and gave him the
spur. Some officers might have looked back to see if their
men were following, but Col. Thomas knew his "boys " would
not flinch, and, as he rode rapidly toward the wood, with the

1 82 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

panting, yelling regiment close to his heels, the Twelfth Con
necticut could not stand it to see us charging away from them,
while they remained behind. Their commander, Col. Peck,
had been killed early in the action, but Capt. Clark stepped into
his place ; and as we moved rapidly away, he shouted : "The

Eighth Vermont is going to the d 1, but they shan't go

ahead of us ! " and on they came. It was grand, — glorious !
Nothing could stand against us, and we swept over the works
and into the woods in advance of everything, driving the
enemy before us in great confusion.

In this wood were great numbers of the dead of both armies,
and many of our wounded. Lying propped against a tree and
mortally wounded, was Lieut. Col. Babcock of the Seventy-
fifth New York, well known and beloved by our regiment.
One poor fellow wearing the blue lay flat on his back, but
waved his cap and looked as happy as if his leg had not been
shattered with a shell. Knowing that our colonel had not been
ordered to charge, several superior officers tried in vain to stop
him, and Gen. McMillan rode up and down the line shouting
" Halt ! " at the top of his lungs. But by that time we had
fairly carried the woods, and there was no halt in us.

As we reached the farther edge of the wood, a new phase
appeared. The Eighth Corps was hammering the enemy's left,
and his line of battle was gradually swinging around diagonally
to ours. The rebels were still fighting desperately, but were
receiving terrible loss. A battery on our left front and not
more than one hundred and fifty yards away, was delivering a
rapid diagonal fire in our front. We all supposed it to be one
of our own batteries. Gen. Upton, of the Sixth Corps, rode up
and ordered Col. Thomas to fire upon it. Col. Thomas refused,
saying it was our battery. Upton was earnest and Thomas firm,
and some high words passed between them, when the smoke
lifted, and there close to the battery was the ' rebel flag.
Instantly Col. Thomas gave the order : " Fire on that battery ! "
and the shots were poured in with such terrible effect that it
was instantly silenced ; and after the battle the slain and
wounded testified to the fatal accuracy of our aim.

DESCENT OF THE CAVALRY. 183

At this time the Sixth Corps came up on our left. The Con
federates were fighting the Eighth Corps from their left front,
and the Nineteenth and Sixth Corps from their right and right
flank. Their situation was most desperate, and most despe
rately were they struggling ; but their fight was over. Crookr
with his Eighth Corps, gallantly charged the high ground on
the enemy's left, his last stronghold. From our position we
could distinctly see the lines of the assault, and hear the crash
of the combat, and then the cheer of our victorious men.

Then, as if the fates had conspired to make the enemy's
defeat complete and terrible, our cavalry under Torbert and
Custer appeared on the scene. A long stretch of open ground
sloped up to a crest to the left and rear of the enemy. We had
advanced, and were sheltered from a lively spurt of firing behind
a stone wall. Capt. Mead shouted, " Boys, look at that ! "
We did look, and saw a sight to be remembered a lifetime. In
solid columns, with drawn sabres flashing in the sun, and with
out firing a shot, down from the crest in the left rear of the
enemy came a brigade of troopers, and burst at a gallop upon
the surprised enemy. It was like a thunder-clap out of a clear
sky, and the bolt struck home. The entire left of the enemy's
line broke in utter confusion and fled in perfect rout. No man
ever saw a more thrilling sight than that cavalry charge.

The work was done. Line after line moved forward at a run
in pursuit of the flying enemy. Battery after battery galloped
up and blazed away, then limbered up and was after them again.
The enemy was driven before us like a flock of frightened
sheep. Generals Sheridan, Emory, and Crook, were in the
front lines directing everything. Gen. Sheridan looked as
happy as a schoolboy. As he passed our regiment the men
burst into a spontaneous cheer, and he swung his hat about
his head and shouted : " Boys, it is just what I expected ! " Gen.
Emory looked just as happy, and no more so, as he did in the
morning, when he rode bareheaded down our lines under a
storm of shot and shell. His face was as grim and impassive
as ever, and when we cheered him, he just raised his hat and
galloped away to the front, where the fire seemed hottest.

1 84 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

For three miles we chased them just like this. Cheer after
cheer rang along our lines, as we went forward at a double-
quick to give one blow more, and the artillery ^seemed to boom
joyfully as it hurled shells among the traitor crew. And thus,
as Gen. Sheridan in his dispatch said, "We just sent them
whirling through Winchester." Thus ended Sheridan's Battle
of Winchester.

The results of this battle, in captures, as gathered on the
spot or during the next day's pursuit, were five cannon, fifteen
battle flags, between six thousand and seven thousand small arms,
and three thousand prisoners. Three thousand of the enemy's
wounded were left on the field or in the town of Winchester, or
on the road between there and Strasburg. Horace Greeley's
history puts the figures thus : " Our loss in this battle was
fully three thousand, including Gen. David A. Russell, killed,
with Gens. Mclntosh, Chapman, and Upton, wounded. The
heroic Nineteenth Corps — on which fell che brunt of the fight
— alone lost one thousand nine hundred and forty, killed and
wounded." The enemy's entire loss, including stragglers and
deserters, must have been at least seven thousand men. To
this should be added the important fact that the prestige of the
rebels in the valley of the Shenandoah was completely broken.

COL. HILL'S STORY.

A BRIEF sketch of the experience of a single regiment for a
few hours in the battle of Winchester, as observed by one of
their number, will serve to show what thousands of other men
in other regiments were realizing and enduring at the same
time.

The night before the battle finds us occupying the rifle-pits
on the Winchester pike, near Berryville. The men are quietly
cooking their rations for supper. For weeks the army under
Sheridan has been marching swiftly up and down the valley,
face to face with the rebel army, without coming to any deci
sive engagement. Now, just before the sun goes down behind
the hills, a cannon shot is heard. Well, what of it? To an old

AN EARLY BREAKFAST. 185

soldier a single cannon shot is not an unusual occurrence.
But, strange as it may seem, in war a single shot is sometimes
the signal to great carnage, when under different circum
stances one hundred shots would hardly receive a passing
notice. A cannon shot, and the men look up and into each
other's faces. My old friend and classmate, Walter Pierce, is
sitting at my side, and Lieut. Downs is also at hand. Not a
word is spoken until comrade Pierce breaks the silence by
saying : " Hill, will you take my diary, pocket-book, and little
Testament which uncle gave me, and send them home, if I am
killed ? " Strange premonition ! but it follows him to his
death. I endeavor to disabuse his mind of such an idea, but
with not a particle of success : the cannon shot tells him only
of death.

The little tents are quickly down and rolled up, and soon the
men are in line. But they soon dropped down on their
rifles for the night, with orders to be ready to move at
a moment's notice. Some sleep soundly, while others toss
restlessly, and their slumbers are disturbed, for it is the last
fitful slumber before their long sleep of death. Between two
and three o'clock in the morning, after making a hasty break
fast of hardtack and coffee, the hurried march for the battle
field is begun. Amid the booming of cannon, Abraham's
creek and the old red mill are passed, and then a little stream
through which artillery, horses, and men are rushed, the
muddy, disturbed water being scooped up by hand and cup to
cool the parched lips of the hurrying soldiers. We now
•enter a deep, narrow ravine, through which our cavalry has
passed before us, and desperately engaged the enemy on the
battlefield above us. The wounded men are being brought
back into this gorge. The ground is literally strewn with men,
perhaps our own neighbors, who a few hours ago were as sound
in body and limb as ourselves, but are now torn and mangled.

We hurry on. Occasionally a man attempts a jest or joke to
turn the thoughts ; but it seems only hollow mockery. Verily,
this is the valley of the shadow of death. We reach and climb
the high bluffs, and Winchester plains are spread out before us.

1 86 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

The line of battle is formed. We march to our position in the
fight between nine and ten o'clock. The rebels are in the field
and woods in front, but we cannot see them, distinctly. Their
cannon fire shell and solid shot. A shell comes crashing into
our midst, literally throwing one man into the air, taking the
leg off another, and tearing open the abdomen of a poor fellow,,
so that his backbone protrudes in a shocking manner. It is
useless to fire, for we can see only smoke. One of our
batteries of six pieces is stationed a little to our left, exposed
to a terrible fire from the enemy. Spiteful puffs of smoke are
seen constantly over the guns and horses, and rebel shells
are bursting. The horses rear and plunge, and occasionally
one falls, or is cut loose by the bursting shells. The artillery
men flit like spirits from caisson to gun, while cannon belch
forth their death missiles, then recoil ten or fifteen feet. A
man drops dead here and there, or crawls away wounded and
bleeding. This is the Fifth Maine Battery.

We are under fire, but not firing ourselves. Some of the
men laugh, possibly one weeps ; the face of another is pale as
death ; his next neighbor's is flushed ; one man swears a fearful
oath, while his right-hand man is praying silently; the next is
excited, fretful, and crowding. Here and there one is calm and
cool, as if marching in review before his commander. There
is absolute equality for the time being. All are on the same
plane, so to speak, the rich and poor, the high and the low, the
learned and the unlearned. The minie ball and the screeching
shell make no distinction, but plough their cruel furrows until
exhausted, or pass on like invisible fiends.

We move to the right, over a rolling field, then forward
again under heavy fire into a sheltering timber. The bullets
spatter against the trees and glance off, and then a sharp cry
of pain is heard. Shells tear through the tops of the trees
overhead, severing the limbs, which drop upon the men below.
On again, through the timber to the opening, and we see the
line of battle we are to relieve. It is being literally cut to
pieces by the enemy which is massed in the woods in front.
Into this fatal clearing and beyond, the brigades of Birge,.

THE LEADEN HAIL. 187

Molineux, and Sharpe, of the second division, had gallantly
charged and been driven back with great slaughter. Wounded
men and fragments of decimated regiments are passing back
through our line to the rear. The flags of an almost annihilated
New Hampshire regiment of Birge's brigade approaches, and
Col. Thomas instantly adopts them with the quick indorsement
of Gen. Dwight, only a few feet away with Gen. Emory, who
said, " Yes, fall in with the Eighth Vermont ; I '11 guarantee you
will be taken care of there."

Now the One Hundred and Sixtieth New York, of our
brigade, is hastily ordered off to fill a gap elsewhere, while the
Forty-seventh Pennsylvania is used in connection with the
first brigade of our division.

We can see squads of the enemy crowding out from the
woods toward us. Thin clouds of white smoke rise rapidly
from the muzzles of Molineux's rifles, as his men valiantly
continue their desperate struggle. We are needed at once, and
on the double-quick we rush forward nearly across the bare field,
greeted by a fierce wail of musketry from the second woods,
while the remnant of Molineux's line we relieve, rises from the
ground and passes quickly back to the timber we have left. The
Twelfth Connecticut is soon sent to our support and stationed at
our right. Our fresh volleys come none too soon, but they are
heeded, and the enemy's advance is checked in our front. A
tall man near me receives a bad gash in his forehead ; the
crimson blood flows down his face and bosom. Another has
his chin shot away, leaving his tongue dangling exposed
over fyis throat. Both must probably die ; but life is dear,
and with a beseeching, parting look, they crawl back to the
rear and from my sight forever, but their faces are imprinted
in my memory.

We are in an open field. The enemy are strongly posted in
the woods only a few rods in front, and nothing between them
and us but thin Virginia grass. What a change comes over the
men. No more of that strange, helpless feeling. Now every
man can fight for himself. All fear is gone; in grim silence
the men load their guns while lying on their i>acks, rise quickly

1 88 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

to their feet, glance across the gleaming barrel, and fire. The
first man to die on this spot is Walter Pierce, who had the
strange presentiment about the cannon §hot last night. A
minie bullet strikes his face as he rises to fire for the third or
fourth time. Not a word escapes his lips as he falls lifeless to
the earth.

In front and rear Confederate and Union batteries are firing
over our heads. The shells have an awful, unearthly, hissing
sound, like the terrible rush of escaping steam from a boiler,
only a thousand times greater. A desolating fire of musketry
sweeps across the exposed ground we occupy, the bullets sound
ing like angry hornets, as they cut the air so close to the face
as to be felt. Men tear a cartridge and ram home the ball, and
speak to their comrades about home or matters of interest a
thousand miles away. Now amid the roar, word is passed along
that Charlie Blood is killed. He falls with a single exclamation.
Another is wounded, and we wonder who will be the next, when
Corporal James Black settles slowly to the ground. A friendly
hand instantly reaches out to his relief, but too late ; his spirit
has flown. And still the ugly work goes on. Col. Thomas, our
commander, sits like a statue on his horse, refusing to dismount,
seemingly bearing a charmed life, encouraging the men within
sound of his voice. Capt. Francis E. Warren is at my side, and
has partly risen to his feet to watch the rebel movements, when
a bullet enters the socket of his eye, and comes out near his ear.
With a groan he bows his head between his knees, and drops at
my feet. The next to fall is Edmund Fisher, a man past fifty
years of age, and never yet absent from his post of duty^. He
rises deliberately, takes careful aim, and fires his last shot ; a
rebel bullet pierces his right hip. He exclaims "I 'm killed!
I 'm killed ! My home ! my home ! " I hastily examine his
wound, and find the ball protruding from the hip bone. With
my thumb and finger I press the bullet out and show it to him.
He is so delighted to find his hurt so slight that he draws up
his paralyzed limb to hobble away. In vain I advise him that to
needlessly expose himself as a target will be sure death. He
rises slowly to his, feet, takes one anxious step to the rear, I

TWO BRAVE SERGEANTS. 189-

distinctly hear a dull thud, as the leaden death messenger
enters his back, and he falls a dead man.

Then an incident occurs which I shall always remember
with peculiar interest. Our rifles become so hot and foul from
constant and rapid use, that we are obliged to abandon them
and take others from the dead soldiers lying within reach.
But our ammunition is giving out, and Sergeants Henry Downs
and Lamb volunteer to cross the open field to our rear for more,
and soon return with a fresh supply ; but none too soon, for
the lull in our firing is evidently taken advantage of, and the
rebels swarm out from the woods and charge towards us with
wild yells. But they are quickly driven back by the fierce
volleys along our line. Company I is losing heavily ; four of
their men are shot dead, and the captain falls and is' supposed
to be dying. A bullet strikes Sergt. Thorn, glances, and
wounds Corporal Eddy, and others are wounded. Three times,
after continued firing, our ammunition is exhausted, and Col.
Thomas calls for volunteers to go for more cartridges, exposed
to a raking fire. Downs and Lamb nobly respond.

The First Brigade, having repulsed the foe in their own front,,
have moved back to the woods as a reserve, and the Eighth
Vermont and Twelfth Connecticut are now alone on this
advanced line. Upton's troops of the Sixth Corps are on our
left, with quite an interval between us. It is three o'clock.
The enemy are pressing out towards us from the woods
in front, and a crisis approaches. Our slender line cannot,
without plenty of ammunition, hold out against a charge accom
panied by heavy volleys. At this moment, some distance to our
right and rear, great cheering is heard, and we discover a body
of troops advancing in magnificent array in solid column,, with
banners flying aloft, and moving rapidly up, with intent, as we
suppose, to take position on our right as reinforcements to our
thin line. It is Col. Thoburn's division of Crook's corps, and
as the solid column advances, the terrible flank fire from the
enemy in our front mows them down like grain, leaving literally
a swath of dead in their wake.

In the meantime, while we are watching with such intense

1 90 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

interest this wondrous sight, Col. Thomas is not idle. The
moment the enemy's fire is turned away from us, he takes upon
himself the responsibility, and makes a daring move on the
checker-board of war. He sees an opportunity to hurl two
veteran regiments like a thunderbolt against the enemy, which
is concentrating every available gun to break Crook's exposed
flanks. " Boys," says he, " what we can't give them for
want of powder and ball, we '11 make up in cold steel. Fix
bayonets." It gives one a peculiar sensation to hear the
sharp rattle of steel, and the whole scene changes. It is ugly
work, but the regiment is up and ready for the conflict. Col.
Thomas walks in front of his own regiment, and talks tenderly
with the men, as though they were of his own flesh and blood.
He passes down in front of the Twelfth Connecticut, whose
colonel has been killed, and asks the officer in command if
he and his men are ready to join the Eighth Vermont in
a bayonet charge. Many of the men respond by springing
to their feet. The captain explains that his ammunition is
exhausted. " So is mine," said Col. Thomas. "Three times
my regiment has fired the last cartridge." " So has the Eighth
Vermont," said their gallant old leader. Then walking back, he
determines to lead his own regiment to the charge, and leave
the others, believing they would follow. He moves forward,
holding his sword high in air. His faithful men spring to the
line, their bayonets glistening in the sunlight. The Twelfth
Connecticut, inspired by this courageous dash, soon follow, and
the enemy are driven at the point of the bayonet from their
works in the timber, our own regiment capturing many prison
ers who could not get away, so sudden and desperate was the
assault. In vain do staff officers, and Gen. McMillan himself,
ride furiously after the men, shouting to Col. Thomas to halt
his lines; the brave old commander — God bless him! — is
riding with drawn sword, in front of a line of steel bayonets,
and cannot be reached. Nor do they halt until the colors they
bear are planted on the open plain in sight of Winchester.
Not a Union flag to be seen in the wide sweep to the left, not
a Union flag in front, not a Union flag to the right ; only rebel

RIDDLING THEIR SHIRTS. 19 1

flags and batteries, one above the other, with infantry massed
between, frowning down upon us, who are amazed at the gran
deur of the scene. The regiment awaits the next order, while
their leader hastily scans the field, which at that moment his
men hold in sole possession.

A flash, and without a moment's warning, the spell is broken,
when an angry roar and a horrid screeching sound is heard, as
a shot tears through the air a few feet over our heads, and then
we discover immediately in our left and front two pieces of
artillery. The enemy we have driven back has retreated to the
battery, and the field is now open between us. Quickly com
prehending the situation, Col. Thomas orders the regiment to
double-quick to the tall trees ten or fifteen yards to the left,
form on the colors, and give them a volley. In scarcely more
time than it takes to write it, the regiment obeys, and the order
to load and fire is accompanied by a queer remark about " rid
dling their shirts." It is literally carried out ; for, while it may
seem exaggeration to the reader who is not on the spot, yet the
truth is that the volleys which follow instantly silence both
pieces, and sweep every sign of life from the guns. Among
those killed and wounded here may be mentioned Charles Jenks,
.another of Company I, a former classmate of the writer. While
the regiment was hastily forming under fire, Jenks started on
the run towards the colors, halted deliberately, threw up both
arms over his head, and fell backward dead.

This exciting affair is hardly over when white puffs of smoke
dot the plain, and a storm of iron hail is rained upon our uncov
ered heads from guns planted further up the plain, one above
.and back of the other, and from different points, which bids
fair, for a few moments, to completely wipe us out. But the
Twelfth Connecticut has joined us on the right, and the advance
lines of Crook's corps are rushing in from the same direction.
Plunging shot and shell are creating terrible havoc in the tree-
tops over our heads, when a Union flag bursts from the woods
into the opening on our left ; then another and another, and
the plain for a long distance to our left swarms with Union
troops, the flags and regiments appearing en ecJielon, while

1 92 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

almost at the same instant the cannonading concentrated on us
is suddenly distributed along the whole line.

Now we realize for the first time how far the rushing bayo
net charge has carried our regiment in advance of the main,
army. Meanwhile Gen. Upton of the Sixth Corps, whose men
are coming up on our left, rides up through the regiment and
engages in hasty conversation with Thomas, concerning troops-
obscured by smoke still further to the left. When the cloud-
wreaths lift, and we catch sight of the familiar southern cross
on the enemy's battle flags, the colonel orders the sights on
the muskets raised, and one or two quick volleys are fired upor>
their confused lines. But our flanks are now up, and with
infantry in front, cavalry and infantry on the enemy's left flank,
with one grand rush the Union troops close on the Confederate
army, and the finishing charge is sharp and crushing. Brave
Col. van Patten, although wounded, moves to the right of the
Eighth Vermont with the One Hundred and Sixtieth New
York, and, connecting with the right of Upton's troops, we
advance rapidly toward the enemy's left centre, in the direction of
their retreat, delivering an enfilading fire as we advance, receiv
ing in turn a heavy artillery fire. Men from Crook's corps,
without any formation whatever, join us till we come to a stone
wall, passing the bodies of the dead artillerists. But the
enemy's artillery breaks clown the wall, when we move back a
few yards and then charge over beyond ; and by this time the
entire rebel army is on a race for life, and soon after Sheridan
is able to telegraph to the war department that he has sent the
enemy whirling through, Winchester, and that this army fought
splendidly.

Just as the last cannon shot is fired towards us a touching
incident occurs. A horse comes hobbling up on three legs,
one having been shot away just above the knee. The poor
animal rubs his nose against the shoulders of one of the men,
whinnying and crying for help. The men pity the affectionate
brute, and will not shoot him till ordered to do so by an officer.

Horace Greeley, in his carefully prepared " History of the
Great Civil War," has singled out this bayonet charge as one

"REMEMBER ME." IQ3

worthy of special mention, for its national importance. In fact,
it was the only actual bayonet charge in the great battle.
Col. Thomas simply anticipated Sheridan's plans, and by this
charge accomplished exactly what Sheridan wanted, to wit, to
break the rebel left ; and the important thing desired by Gen.
Sheridan was secured in twenty minutes after Thomas's regi
ment was once under way. And when Thoburn's gallant men
reached the enemy in the woods in their own front, they found
his line to the left utterly shattered for more than, three
hundred yards by Thomas's bayonet charge.

Another important result of this charge was that it opened the
way for the cavalry charge which immediately followed. The
rebel infantry here was shattered and panic-stricken, and every
veteran, from a soldier in the ranks to the general in com
mand, knows that the time for a successful cavalry charge is at
the moment the enemy at any given point is panic-stricken or
demoralized, and just here the crowning moment came.

During the charge Lieut. Col. Babcock, of the Seventy-fifth
New York, who had received a terrible and mortal wound, and
a prisoner in the hands of the enemy till now, raised himself
from the ground, while his life blood was ebbing away, and
waved us on, shouting : " Colonel, you are doing it gloriously !
When you are through, remember me." Thomas wave"d his
sword back to his dear friend, and answered, " My clear fellow,
I 'm sorry for you. I'll remember you." He kept his word
faithfully, for the conflict had hardly ended before he sent Sergt.
Bowman back with a detail, and had Col. Babcock carried from
the field ; and while in the hospital, the dying officer remarked
that he " never experienced a happier moment in his life than
when he saw Thomas leading that bold and successful bayonet
charge."

New Hampshire, our sister state, furnished some of -the finest
regiments in the service, and among the number the noble
Fourteenth, of the second division. During the battle that
regiment gallantly penetrated the enemy's lines, when it was
driven back with terrible loss, and the colors were supposed to
have been captured. Instead, however, three brave men, Sergt.

194 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

F. H. Buffum (afterward captain in service of the state), Sergt.

G. E. Howard, and Corp. H. E. Baldwin, by their heroic efforts
saved the- flags, which were adopted by Gen. Thomas ; and
though the Fourteenth New Hampshire, as an organization, had
no part in our bayonet charge, its colors marched proudly side
by side with those of the old Eighth Vermont in that
memorable and successful assault.

Among the sad memories of the battle who can ever forget
the exclamation of horror that unconsciously came to our lips
when, glancing back as the regiment sprang forward, we saw
the zigzag line of our own dead and wounded, and those of
the line we relieved, many of them to be left behind forever, as
the regiment never returned to the spot ; and from the com
mencement of the charge to its termination, we were constantly
obliged to jump over the dead and wounded of the blue and
the gray. So fierce had been the contest for this field and
wood, over a thousand men had spilled their blood within the
radius of a pistol shot of our pathway.

The flag of the regiment which was planted with such lofty
heroism in the open plain in front of Winchester town was the
same sacred flag that fluttered in the soft southern breezes on
the high bluffs of the Mississippi river, and in face of the
terrible fire for over forty days and nights at the siege of Port
Hudson.

What earthly power can ever obliterate from our memory the
spectacle that closed the day ! The battle over, the last shot
fired, the regiment halted for the night. Gen. Sheridan
appeared once more in our midst, engaging for a moment in
conversation with Col. Thomas. The sombre pall of night
enveloped the strange scene; when, as if by magic, a thousand
camp-fires leaped into the air, illuminating the great rolling
plain and hilltops for miles around, while around those little
fires gathered groups of brave, resolute men. Oh, my com
rades, for a living photograph of that scene, — the bright night
fires, the happy, excited groups, the faces burned and blackened
with powder, the glistening eye of speaker and listener as the
thrilling encounter was described. Then like some strange

CAPT. GEORGE 0, FopxD, Co. K.

BRAVE DEEDS. 1 95

dream the drama slowly changes ; the fires burn lower and
lower, flicker, flash, and then go out in darkness. No
mortal historian — only the recording angel of the God of bat
tles — can ever write down the multitude of graphic and thril
ling incidents related around those memorable fires. Then
comes the moments of sorrow ; for, as the weary soldier rolls
himself in his blanket alone, hot tears steal down his bronzed
cheek as he thinks of his loved tent-mate also alone, dead on
the plain below.

INCIDENTS.

BEFORE the Eighth Vermont went forward to relieve Molineux,
Company D, Capt. Getchell, and Company K, Capt. Ford, were
detailed to fill a gap in the line between the Nineteenth Corps
and the Eighth, where they bravely held their position until
after Thomas had made his gallant charge through the woods,
when they rejoined the regiment. Company F, also, which
under Capt. Smith had been holding a difficult and dangerous
skirmish line, rejoined the regiment at that time ; and all three
were complimented for their valiant behavior that morning, in
Col. Thomas's report to the adjutant general.

On a battlefield where the entire period of action was one
long display of courageous endurance, it is difficult to single
out instances of conspicuous bravery. And yet when the
Eighth Vermont came under a hot fire, and Col. Thomas called
for volunteers to go out in front of the line as scouts, to inform
him if the Confederates should make any attempt to charge
upon him, Sergeant Halladay, of Company B, and the six com
rades who responded, showed a degree of nerve that entitles
them to special mention. Those daring fellows, taking their
lives in their hands, crawled out a hundred yards in front of the
regimental line, and, partially concealed by some bushes and
rising ground, lay there under two fires and watched the move
ments of the enemy, who filled the woods just ahead of them.
They could not well return, but when the charge ordered by
Col. Thomas swept over the ground, they fell in and rejoined
their company.

196 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

When the Eighth first joined the army in Virginia, members
of the Sixth Corps would often joke them about being " Louisi-
anians " ; but after the splendid charge on the iQth, Gen. Sheri
dan rode along the line, and, stopping in front of the regiment,
said : " If you are ' Louisianians,' you can fight."

The recovery of Private Ransom Coalbeth, of Company K,
who was wounded in the Opequon fight, was remarkable. A
piece of shell laid open his side, tearing out two ribs, and ex
posing the contents of his chest. The surgeon who saw him
on the field reported that he was past help and would not live
an hour, and in the company reports his name was placed on
the list of dead. But about two months after the battle, notice
was received from the hospital at Annapolis, Md., that he was
there, doing well and likely to recover. He did recover, and
was able to do light duty until the close of the war.

Before his regiment started for the front on the morning of
the i Qth, Lawson Whittemore, of Company A, wrote a letter
to his mother, but remarked to a comrade, after finishing it,
that it would never reach her. Nothing further might have
been thought of the matter had not Whittemore been wounded.
But in the morning fight a shell burst and carried away his leg.
Speaking to Sergt. Hill, to whom he had made the remark
about the letter, he asked : " Do you remember what I told
you ? That letter was in my pants pocket, and is torn into a
thousand pieces."

Later on, after the regiment had executed the brilliant charge
for which the colonel has been so highly complimented, and was
lying prostrate behind a stone wall where they had made a tem
porary halt, Edward Belville, of Company B, who had escaped all
the enemy's shots, received a fatal wound from a fence rail that
lay on top of the wall. He had risen to his feet and was watch
ing the Confederates, when an artillery shot struck the ground in
his front, glanced, hit the fence rail, and sent it against him with
tremendous force. Belville was thrown on the ground several
feet away, and his comrades who picked him up did not think
him seriously hurt, because he was able to go to the rear without
further assistance. But he died in the hospital shortly after.

HOW GRANT TOOK IT. 197

While the retreating Confederates were pursued beyond
Winchester, and after the firing along their lines had appar
ently ceased, Col. H. E. Hill reports seeing one cannon wheel
into position and give the Union victors a parting shell, which
struck and exploded about forty yards in front of the Eighth
Vermont, and a flying fragment knocked one man down. This
was a rather spiteful way of acknowledging that they had been
soundly whipped.

After Sheridan's exultant troops had encamped for the night,
and the kindly darkness had dropped its veil over the bloody
field, Lieut. Lewis Childs, of McMillan's staff, who was look
ing for his supply trains, was obliged to dismount and lead his
horse, to avoid treading on the wounded and dead of both
armies, who still lay where they had fallen on the gory ground.

The effect on Gen. Grant of "Little Phil's" first victory in
the valley would seem to have been phenomenal. He was
never a demonstrative man ; but an officer who was inspector
at the headquarters of the army operating against Richmond,
said: "The only time I ever saw Gen. Grant show any exhil
aration was when he received the news of Sheridan's victory at
Winchester. He came out of his tent, threw his hat into the
air, and then went back again. He knew that was the begin
nin of the end."

The list of men killed and wounded at Opequon, on the
instant, is as follows : Killed : Corp. Marshall W. Wells and
Lawson Whittemore, Company A ; Edmund Fisher, Charles J.
Blood, Walter W. Pierce, Charles E. Jenks, and James F.
Black, Company I. Wounded : Lieut. Col. Henry F. Button;
Capt. Geo. O. Ford, Company K ; Lieut. Wheaton Livingston,
Company B ; Lieut. Nathaniel Robie, Company I ; Lieut. Perry
Porter, Jr., Company K ; Sergt. Kirk F. Brown, Corp. Rodger
Hovey, Michael Hurley, Wm. B. Page, and Charles S. Clark,
Company A ; Corp. Wrn. H. Henry and Edward Belville (died
from wounds), Company B ; John Miller and Henry A. Dow,
Company C ; Sergt. Jacob Mills, Jr., and Edgar Barstow, Com
pany D ; James W. Averill and Thomas F. Ferrin, Company

198 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

E ; Paul Bouskay and D. L. Payne, Company F ; Antone
Depuys, Company G ; George P. Eddy and Charles S. Smith,
Company I ; Corp. George Furbush, Samuel J\ Penfield, Simon
Scheikert, Wm. H. Silsby, and Lewis J. Ingalls, Company K.

Lieut. Col. Henry F. Button, one of the most efficient and
popular officers in the Eighth Regiment, was so severely
wounded at the battle of Opequon, that he was unable to con
tinue in the service, and was honorably discharged November
1 6th, 1864. He entered the service as captain of Company H,
and having an active, well-disciplined mind, he soon made him
self master of the situation, and was equal to any emergency,
whether in camp or under fire. He was one of the best field
officers in the brigade, and could move a regiment in battle with
the same ease as when on parade. For valiant service as com
mander of the picked detachment at the destruction of the gun
boat Cotton, he was complimented by Col. Thomas in his
report made to the adjutant general of Vermont.

LIEUT. COL. HENRY R BUTTON.

IX.

FISHER'S HILL.

WHAT Mr. Geo. E. Pond calls the corollary to the battle of
Opequon was fought three days later. In their flight from
Winchester, Early's troops, pursued by a victorious and exult
ant army, did not pause until they reached the wellnigh im
pregnable fastness known as Fisher's Hill. There they took
position on a thoroughly defended bluff that rises abruptly from
the general surface above Strasburg, midway between Massa-
nutten and North Mountain. The steep eastern base is guarded
by a loop of the Shenandoah, and Tumbling Run cuts its chan
nel under the very brow of the crest on the north. By blocking
the approaches on the northwest, therefore, with strong works,
the enemy, once in possession of the crest, could consider them
selves tolerably secure, if not absolutely inaccessible.

But Gen. Sheridan did not propose to neglect his advantage,
and on the morning of the 2ist instant the Union troops were
advanced within artillery range of Fisher's Hill, and the day
was spent in shelling the woods on the enemy's flanks, and
fixing a position from which to strike a decisive blow. At day
break the next morning the batteries opened a brisk fire, to
which the Confederates made but a feeble reply, while the in
fantry line was moved into the woods north of the hill ; and
during the forenoon strong earthworks were thrown up, though
for what reason the soldiers did not know, unless it was to
amuse the Johnnies, who gazed down upon them from their
stronghold on the bluff.

200 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

At two o'clock, p. M. the skirmishers advanced and drove a
detachment of Confederates out of some rifle-pits in front, and
at five o'clock Gen. Sheridan's plan of attack became apparent.
While the movements in front had engaged the attention of
the enemy, Crook with the Eighth Corps had executed a suc
cessful flank movement, surprising them and turning their left.
This was what Sheridan had been waiting for, and as soon as
it became certain that Crook had gained the rear, he ordered a
general advance all along the lines.

Col. Thomas and his regiment pushed forward with the rest
of the Nineteenth Corps, towards the base of the bluff that
looked so formidable, bristling with blazing guns. But it
seemed incredible that Crook could actually be in the enemy's
rear, or that the strong works would yield to assault. Just
then, however, Captain Wilkinson, of Gen. Emory's staff, came
dashing along, waving his hat and shouting, "They've left
their guns and are running like cowards ! " Gen. Sheridan, too,
was all along the line with his aids, impatient of delay, and
commanding everything to be hurried forward.

Across the ravine, through the tangled brushwood, and up
the steep ascent scrambled the troops, to find the works
deserted, and Early's army in full retreat along the valley road,
their dead and wounded, batteries, and everything on wheels
left behind, and the troops so panic-stricken at the sudden burst
ing of the Eighth Corps upon their unguarded rear, that they
were indeed running like cowards, while a considerable force
had failed to escape and were made prisoners. Twenty-one
pieces of artillery were taken and a stand of Confederate colors,
while the disabled and 'slain, numbering more than a thousand
men, testified to the deadly havoc produced by the Union guns.

By this time night had shut down on the scene, but Gen.
Sheridan, determined to keep close upon the enemy's rear, or
dered immediate pursuit ; and the Eighth Vermont, as the
advance of the supporting column, pressed on as rapidly as the
thick darkness and the nature of the ground would permit.
While they descended the slope beyond the bluff, a light sud
denly shone out from a small house at the foot of the hill, which

//?GEON s. *•

SA UC Y JOHNNIES. 2O I

proved to be a signal to the enemy, for, when the regiment came
in front of it, a Confederate battery opened fire upon them
from the higher ground, and at the same moment the timber
on each side of the line blazed with musketry.

It was not an agreeable surprise for a dark night, and several
men were wounded by the bursting shells, for the shots had
been well aimed. One flying piece struck a musket in the
hands of the tallest man in Company C, and cut off the breech,
without hurting him or any one else, though he had what the
Friends would designate as a " close call." Taking in the situa
tion, the captain of the company made a dash for the door of
the house, but finding it barred, broke in a window, and, reach
ing in, overturned the signal lamp with his sword. Then Col.
Thomas ordered the regiment to charge up the bank to the
left, and the temerity of the saucy Johnnies was quickly
punished by the capture of about two hundred and fifty, and
the major who commanded them. Meanwhile a Union battery
had arrived on the spot, and delivered a shot which forced the
enemy into silent retirement.

The results of that day's work, while insignificant when
compared with Sheridan's two great battles of the valley, were
important because of the wide disparity between the losses of
the two armies. For while the Confederates must have lost
over thirteen hundred men, the Union forces were reduced
only about four hundred. But the brilliancy of this achieve
ment, following so closely the victory at Winchester, height
ened the nation's admiration of " Little Phil," and established
him in public confidence. There were general demonstrations
of rejoicing ; and on hearing the news Gen. Grant said to Sheri
dan, " Keep on, and your good work will cause the fall of Rich
mond."

No members of the Eighth Vermont were killed in this
engagement ; but George Bement and George S. Remick,
Company A, Lieut. Edward F. Gould, Company D, and John
B. Thomas, Company F, were wounded. Ferris Merrill, Com
pany G, fell out of the ranks on the night march to Woodstock,,
was taken prisoner, and died in captivity.

202 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

After this disastrous encounter, Early's depleted army con
tinued to fall back up the valley, until, on the 25th, they
reached Port Republic, far up among the head-waters of the
Shenandoah. The Union forces pressed on in pursuit, and col
lected at Harrisonburg, near enough to keep a vigilant eye on
all the enemy's movements. The cavalry under Torbert, how
ever, proceeded to Waynesboro, Staunton, and other points to
the southward, destroying military stores and provisions, and
laying waste the country, in order to cut off the enemy's means
of subsistence. For some days Sheridan remained quietly in
that vicinity, while carrying on correspondence with Gen.
Grant concerning future movements. Finding that Kershaw
with his forces had rejoined Early, and Rosser with his brigade
had reinforced the enemy's cavalry, Gen. Sheridan came to
the conclusion that the best policy was, " to let the burning of
the crops of the valley be the end of this campaign, and let
some of this [his] army go elsewhere."

With this view the lieutenant general at length concurred,
and Sheridan set about the cruel though necessary business of
devastating the country, and burning everything on which
either man or beast could subsist. The measure very likely
caused no little suffering to innocent, defenceless people, and
the fair land soon became a smoking, blackened waste.

TOM'S BROOK.

IN carrying out the orders received from Gen. Grant, Sheri
dan began to move his ar,my northward again during the first
days of October ; and Early, construing this retrogression as a
symptom of weakness, or, what is more likely, getting so des
perate for lack of subsistence that he was obliged to offer battle
or hasten to some more hospitable region with his famished
army, pushed on in pursuit. The enemy's cavalry under
Rosser, the new commander, were particularly inclined to press
upon the Union lines, and caused them much annoyance. This
led on the Qth instant to a cavalry engagement, which was
interesting to the Eighth Vermont, chiefly because a portion of

SEEING A BATTLE. 203

the men chanced to be on picket duty in a position from which
they could witness the fight, while at one stage of the action
there was a probability that they, and perhaps the entire regi
ment, might come under the Confederate fire.

An officer of the Eighth, who was in command of the pickets
at the time, has furnished quite a graphic account of what he
and many of his comrades saw of this lively battle. As he de
scribes it, Rosser set about his new task with great energy, and
pressed Custer, who was his classmate, on the back and middle
roads, while Lomax, with another brigade of Confederate horse,
moved down the valley pike against Merritt. Gen. Sheridan
resented this boldness, and on the afternoon of the 8th rode to
the rear to investigate. Coming upon the Eighth Vermont as
it lay resting after the toilsome march, he stopped some mo
ments and talked with Col. Thomas. He was in excellent
spirits, and said that the enemy had a new cavalry commander
from Richmond, who thought that the Union army was run
ning away, and was consequently very saucy and pushing, and
needed a fight to cool him off. And Sheridan added that he
was going to find out whether his army were running away or
not, and at the same time settle with this new general.

The place was near Tom's Brook, three or four miles south
of Strasburg, and the picket line was pushed well out. Just
beyond, the enemy's cavalry were hammering away with great
vigor and using their artillery freely, and the Union troopers
were steadily driven back. The brisk firing continued till long
after dark that night, and at last the two lines approached so
near that shots began to fall among the pickets, and one man
was wounded. To the picket officer it seemed that Sheridan's
•" settlement " with Rosser was showing a balance on the wrong
side of the account that might prove him insolvent, unless the
Union infantry took a hand in figuring up the bill.

During the night which followed, the utmost vigilance was
maintained along that picket line, no member of which showed
any symptoms of being sleepy ; and before retiring to head
quarters " Little Phil " gave the famous verbal order to Torbert
to start out at daylight next morning, and " whip the rebel cav-

204 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

airy or get whipped himself." In his report Sheridan changes
the wording of this order somewhat, but Torbert's version is
believed to be right, since it sounds like S&eridan, who always
went into a fight intending that somebody should get soundly
whipped.

At daybreak the cavalry was in the saddle, Custer confront
ing Rosser on the back road, and Merritt facing Lomax on the
pike. The opposing forces were nearly equal, and each com
mander had a full battery, so that the spectators on the picket
line had a prospect of witnessing an intensely interesting con
test. As the Union cavalry deployed in full view of the foe,
the latter opened a furious artillery fire upon them, and pres
ently met their advance with carbines. But the Union troopers
moved firmly out ; and as the horses set into a gallop, they gave
a prolonged yell, brandished their gleaming swords, and burst
upon the over-confident Johnnies, breaking their line in pieces.

The fight lasted for about two hours, during which Rosser
struggled with great desperation and a momentary success ; but
no subsequent effort could regain the set-back he received at
the outset, and soon his entire force was flying in wild confu
sion. All their artillery, except a single piece, was left behind,
and Torbert, whose men were in high spirits, chased the fugi
tives along the valley for a space of fully twenty-five miles,
before breakfast.

Before the defeat was clearly discerned by the excited
pickets, the officer says he was somewhat startled by seeing a
full rebel battery come into his line, the riders wearing the
gray ; but in a moment the cause of the strange movement
became apparent, for he discovered that the pieces were cap
tured, and under the direction of soldiers in blue.

Everybody in camp that day was in rare good humor. Gen.
Sheridan could not move without being greeted with cheers,,
and the air was full of jokes and gibes about the new Confeder
ate general. There was some reason to believe that the Fed
eral army would shortly have all the enemy's heavy guns in safe
keeping ; and not long after this the mob in Richmond painted
on some pieces of artillery marked to be sent to Gen. Early,.
"In care of Gen. Sheridan."

LIEUT-GENERAL P. H. SHERIDAN.

X.

BATTLE OF CEDAR CREEK.

WHILE the two hostile armies had been marching up and
down the Shenandoah valley, improving every chance to deal
each other crippling blows, the sun was moving to his winter
quarters in the south. The pensive autumn days came, when
nature seemed to deck the far blue hills and nearer landscape
in " splendors not her own "; when forests put on their dying
brilliancy, and gorgeous sunsets left the world aflame.

Unconsciously the veteran regiment, whose devious career
lends interest to these pages, were going to their " last weird
battle in the west," after which those who escaped would be
exempt from the toils and cruelties of fighting for the remain
der of their days. But the release was to cost them the blood
iest sacrifice they had yet laid on the altar of patriotism.
Already had their precious colors passed through a terrible
ordeal in the white heat of slaughter, and the company rolls
had strangely changed, since first the warm-hearted volunteers
answered to their names at Camp Holbrook. But the defiant
spirit of rebellion, that had so long hovered over the valley, was
not yet satiated with human blood, and thousands on both sides
were yet to fall, before its cursed shadow would flee into the
distant mountains, and haunt the fair land no more.

Early and his generals did not lack courage in the field or
skill in strategy, nor were they yet conquered. Since the flames
had devoured the abundance on which they had hoped to sub-
-sist as long as they required to hold possession of the valley,

206 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

they were reduced to the necessity of choosing between imme
diate retreat and aggressive operations. They decided on the-
latter, and, inasmuch as the case was desperate, all their mili
tary genius was laid under tribute to devise means by which to
visit upon the Union army a surprise as sudden and complete
as that which had cost them such a mortifying rout at Fisher's
Hill. The experience of the last month had taught them some
thing of the methods of Gen. Sheridan, and it was not their
fault if they did not better the instruction.

The Confederates possessed one advantage over their enemy
which could scarcely be rated too highly. They had an estab
lished signal station on Three Top, the highest point of land in
the region, from which they had never been permanently dis
lodged, and from which they could always overlook the Union
forces, and gain an accurate knowledge of their position. By
this means, when Early once resolved on striking his opponent
by stealth, he was enabled to plan a battle which was certainly
the most unique, if not one of the most masterly attacks during
the war.

About the middle of October the Union army was concen
trated near the confluence of Cedar Creek and the Shenandoah,
a short distance north of Strasburg, in full view of the Confed
erate signal station. This was a position very favorable to the
designs of Gen. Early, for in planning an attack, he could have
the benefit of the actual battle-ground spread out like a pano
rama under his eye. As he and his officers surveyed the Union
camp on the i8th instant,, they discovered the situation of
Sheridan's three army corps to be thus : They were encamped
just east of the creek, near the pike leading from Winchester,
with Strasburg in their front and Middletown in the rear ; the
Eighth occupied the left of the pike in two divisions, the first
entrenched on a mound east of the stream, the second also on
high ground a little to the north, and close to the pike ; the
Nineteenth Corps held the right of the Eighth, and was en
camped on an elevated plain behind earthworks, with the pike
on the left, the creek in front, and Meadow brook (a branch of
Cedar Creek) on the right ; beyond the brook the Sixth formed

THE EVE OF BATTLE. 2O/

the right flank of the army, and was also entrenched ; the
cavalry and artillery were disposed in near proximity.

On the eve of the battle which the enemy was preparing
with the utmost secrecy, two untoward circumstances seemed
to favor their designs. Gen. Sheridan was absent from the
army, attending to important business in Washington, so that
the command of the troops devolved on Gen. Wright, of the
Sixth Corps. The other circumstance alluded to was that, on
the night before the surprise occurred, Wright and his subor
dinate officers came to the conclusion that Early was too far
away to cause any apprehension, and the Union army slept
with a feeling of profound security. While it might be unjust
to charge the officers in command with neglecting to throw
around their camp the proper safeguards, it was a fact that
they trusted too readily to the results of what was considered
a thorough reconnoissance to determine the position of the
enemy, and the morning of the fight found them unprepared.

Whether Early purposed to mislead his antagonist as to his
whereabouts or not, his whole available force was hovering so
near at hand that, during the night of the i8th instant, he was
able to march them in perfect silence along the to them well-
known mountain ways, and post them by divisions so skilfully,
that at morning light they could fall upon. their enemy with the
most sudden and effective surprise.

But while a sense of absolute security prevailed in camp
the night before the battle, there was one officer who had his
suspicions that danger was close at hand, and, after making a
personal investigation, he caused his fears to be reported at
headquarters. Col. Thomas observed symptoms of impending
trouble, and, after the other officers had retired to their tents, he
moved anxiously about, by no means satisfied that all was well.
He was on duty as corps officer of the day,' and during the
afternoon, while on the watch, he discovered through his glass
men in citizens' dress talking earnestly together and pointing
here and there to the lines. What he saw strongly inclined
Thomas to the opinion that the enemy had not abandoned their
front, all reports to the contrary notwithstanding.

I

2O8 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Finally Col. Thomas called the attention of Gen. Emory to
what he had observed, and made known his suspicions. The
general appeared to consider the matter of> sufficient gravity to
be reported at headquarters, and asked him as a personal favor
to call on Gen. Wright and repeat the story to him. But
Wright did not think there was occasion for undue anxiety, and
to quiet the colonel's uneasiness said : " I have ordered Crook
to send out a strong reconnoitring force."

But Col. Thomas considered it prudent to post his picket
lines with unusual care, and remained in the saddle through the
entire night. Having made his post-midnight rounds among
the guard, he rode out beyond the picket line, and soon found
himself in a ravine confronted by Confederate soldiers, who
insolently demanded : " Surrender, you d — d Yankee !" " No,
sir," said the colonel, " it 's too early in the morning ! Besides,
your request was not respectful." And striking spurs into his
horse, he dashed up a steep bank, followed by a shower of bul
lets and a rebel yell.

Col. J. Hotchkiss, chief of engineers on Gen. Early's staff,
during a recent call on the writer, referred to the battle of
Cedar Creek, and stated some interesting circumstances con
nected with it. He said that during the afternoon before the
engagement took place, he and another officer dressed in citi
zens' clothes and crept all along the Union picket lines, exam
ining every point, and getting a large amount of information of
value in planning the attack. It is possible that the twain
were the very men whom Col. Thomas saw apparently studying
the situation. Shortly before the attack opened in the morn
ing a heavy rumbling sound reached the Confederate head
quarter, and Early remarked anxiously : " It 's all up with us.
We are discovered, and that is the enemy's artillery." Hotch
kiss thought not, and crawling out once more along the picket
lines, he found them in quiet order. The noise proceeded from
a wagon train starting for Winchester. Col. Hotchkiss said
further that they were very desirous to capture Sheridan, and
had a force of one thousand picked men, who were to push on to
the Belle Grove House, when the battle opened, and take him

ORE

=-.=, UNION LINES.

MM CON FED. it

«=THOMAS'S BRIGADE

(j , 2 ,3,4-, POSITIONS IN MORNING.)

COURSE OF THOMAS BRIGADE

r1 SHERI DAN'S HEADQUARTERS

K E R 5 H A W

A BRIGADE SEA^T TO DEATH. 2OQ

prisoner ; but the movements of the Union cavalry intercepted
the plan. This fact would indicate that Early was not aware
of Sheridan's absence.

Col. Thomas had scarcely reached the camp after his escape
from the Confederate skirmishers, when the noise of heavy
firing was heard along the front of the Union lines, and Crook's
first division of the Eighth Corps, which occupied the extreme
left, was driven back in confusion. What followed is told in
detail later on. Kershaw advanced straight upon the Eighth
Corps from the creek, while Gordon, Pegram, and Ramseur
moved up on the left ; Wharton, too, was already posted on the
pike in front of the Nineteenth Corps, where he could pour an
enfilading fire into the Union lines beyond the bridge.

When the lines of the Nineteenth Corps were hastily formed
for action, Col. Thomas took command of McMillan's brigade,
to which his own regiment belonged, and Maj. Mead led the
Eighth Vermont. Before the troops realized what had hap
pened they found themselves in the thick of the fight, and
made the startling discovery that the Union lines were giving
way before the fierce onslaught of the enemy. It soon became
evident that Crook's gallant regiments had fallen back before
the resolute Confederates, and were retreating across the pike,
hotly pursued. An effort must instantly be made to relieve
them, and, even at the cost of annihilation, a force must be
sent out to hold the enemy in check till the Sixth and Nine
teenth Corps had time to form.

Col. Thomas and his brigade were close at hand, and, just as
the gray dawn revealed the terrible slaughter beyond, Gen.
Emory ordered them to advance across the pike — a single, un
supported brigade — against the best divisions of Early's army.
Instantly Maj. Mead shouted, "Fall in, Eighth Vermont ! " and
taking position in the line they moved up the hill to the edge
of the wood from which Crook's troops had fled. Lieut. James
Welch, with Company G, advanced into the woods as skirmish
ers, and were soon hurled back by the overwhelming forces of
the enemy. But the brigade knew why it had been sent there,
and firmly met the shock on ground which could not long be

210 THE EIGHTH VERMONT,

held. Mead was soon wounded, and passed the command to
Capt. McFarland, of Company A, who, when the brigade sullenly
retired, took back with him less than a third df his gallant men.
It was a fearful necessity that required a detachment to be
sent to almost instant destruction, in order to gain time, a
trying alternative that, thank God, seldom presents itself in
the history of warfare. When the veterans visited the battle
field in 1883, and were recalling the experiences of the morning
surprise, Gen. Emory took Col. Thomas by the hand, and said,
with much feeling: "Thomas, I never gave an order in my life
that cost me so much pain as it did to order you across the
pike that morning. I never expected to see you again." But
it has its parallels.

At Chancellorsville, when Jackson made his famous flank
attack, routing the Eleventh Corps, Gen. Sickles ordered Pleas-
onton to take command of the artillery, and Pleasonton hastily
collected twenty-two guns of his own and the Third Corps', plac
ing them in Hazel Grove, on an eminence that was really the key
to the field. The Confederates were so close at hand that there
was no time to load or aim the guns. In another moment the
position would be lost. Something must be done instantly to
delay Jackson. Turning to Maj. Peter Keenan, of the Eighth
Pennsylvania cavalry, Pleasonton ordered him to charge the ten
thousand of the enemy with his four hundred. Keenan knew it
was certain annihilation to his command to hurl it into that mass
of infantry, but he obeyed, and nobly rode to his death. His
charge gave the batteries time to get ready, and Jackson was
stopped.

History repeats itself. The charge of the Light Brigade was
not a nobler act than the charge of that four hundred Union
cavalry, Keenan's conduct rivaled that of Arnold Winckelried
in Switzerland, and the Chevalier d' Assas in France. The
disparity of forces was not much greater than that between
the gallant brigade at Cedar Creek and the four exultant and
victorious Confederate divisions that it was ordered to delay
that the Sixth Corps might get ready.

Sheridan himself, early in his career in the war, at Stone

TESTIMONIA LS. 2 1 1

River sent a brigade to almost certain death in order to gain
time for the rest of his division, and the charge cost him the life
of the gallant Gen. Sill. Sheridan's whole division in that battle,
in its relation to the army of the Cumberland, exemplified in a
marked manner the conduct of Thomas's brigade at Cedar
Creek.

The act of a single brigade, however brave, is but a small
factor in the sum total of a day's fighting like that at Cedar
Creek. Other troops, as heroic as those led by Thomas, went
quickly to their death in those grim morning hours. But a.
peculiar exigency has singled out the deed and given it his
toric prominence. In commenting upon it the historian of the
Tenth Vermont Regiment says:

" Col. Stephen Thomas, the veteran commander of the Eighth Vermont
Regiment, and the officer who did so much to mend the broken lines of his
corps at Winchester, on the iQth of September, now in command of McMil
lan's brigade, immediately threw it across the pike and plunged with it into
the woods, where he tried to arrest the fugitives from the Eighth Corps, and
attempted to beat back the rebel host that was then pressing unopposed in
pursuit. But he was soon overwhelmed and obliged to retire, leaving fully
one third of his men dead and wounded on the ground."

Brig. Gen. McMillan says in his report that, in executing
Emory's orders, he " put in the Second Brigade, Col. Thomas,
in the position indicated [ across the pike ], occupying a deep
ravine and thick copse of wood, from which it was soon driven
by overwhelming force, but not until completely flanked, and
nearly one third of its members killed, wounded, or captured."

In the history of the Fourteenth New Hampshire Regiment
occurs this paragraph : " Col. Thomas's brigade of the first
division had faced to the rear, and advanced across the pike to
meet the enemy, and fought him there until completely over
borne by weight of numbers." The history of the Twenty-
ninth Maine also says : " Our Second Brigade was sent under
Col. Thomas, a fighter of the bull-dog kind, to reinforce Crook's
command, and they made a bull-dog fight of it, across the pike
near the camp that Crook had been driven from, as many dead
in blue and gray testified to us who saw them the next day."

212 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

It seems that McMillan's brigade had already been pushed out in the
direction of the enemy, and to enable the West Virginian army to rally.
. . . A roar of musketry from the woods told us Jhat McMillan's bri
gade had opened its struggle, but did not tell us how hopelessly it was over
matched, flanked on the left as it was by Ramseur, and charged in front
and on the right by Kershaw. ... In the haste of slaughter men could
not reload, but fought with their bayonets and clubbed rifles. After the
battle was over we found corpses here with their skulls crushed by the blows
of musket-butts, and with their life-blood clotted around the triangular
wounds made by bayonets. . . . During the day the brigade lost more
than one third of its fighting men, the greater part of them on this horrible
Jiill of sacrifice, where it offered itself up for the salvation of the army.
— J. IV. de Forest, in Harpers Magazine.

Our brigade under Colonel, since Brigadier General, and now Lieutenant
Governor Stephen Thomas, of the Eighth Vermont, which regiment it in
cluded, was formed for the march at the time the fight commenced, having
been ordered out on an early reconnoissance ; it plunged at once across the
pike into the woods, stemming rout, and facing the enemy. Gen. Wright
endeavored to use it as a nucleus on which to reform Crook's command, and
so gain time to bring up the rest of the army to the strong line of the turn
pike. . . . The Eighth Corps refused to rally, and in a few moments
Thomas's brigade was swept back overpowered, retiring sullenly, and leav
ing in the forest the largest proportionate loss suffered by any brigade during
the day. — Col. A. F. Walker, in " The Verjnont Brigade in the Shenan-
doah Valley."

In a letter addressed to a member of the Committee of Pub
lication, dated " Staunton, Va., April 6, 1886," is the following
language :

.... Few, if any, troops, even the best of veterans, could resist being
demoralized by the inundatiofi of such a mass of excited fugitives, and Gen.
Thomas's command must have been under most admirable discipline to
have been able to rally and form, under such circumstances, and for a time
successfully oppose the onward rush of heavy masses of Confederate troops
flushed with the excitement of hitherto unopposed success. Such a display
of heroic fortitude by the men and by the leader of your command is
worthy of the highest praise and admiration. The losses in killed and
wounded that you sustained in this brief shock of battle by your own gal
lant regiment and by those associated with it, are the best proofs of the
fierceness of our attack and of the courage and obstinacy of your defence.
Your stay in the position under such odds must, of necessity, have been
short, for you were not only pressed upon and outflanked by the masses of

A FILIAL TRIBUTE. 213

Kershaw's and of Gordon's men on the front, but were soon threatened by
the advance of Wharton's men along the turnpike, on your right, for as soon
as Kershaw had successfully passed the ford at Bowman's mill, Gen. Early
had in person ridden rapidly to our left to Wharton's command, advancing
by the turnpike, to urge it and our artillery, all of which was in that part of
our line, into action, especially to an attack on your forces, part of the
Nineteenth Corps, and all of the Sixth encamped north of the turnpike, and
that had not been struck by the attack of Kershaw and Gordon. But your
stay was long enough to enable the Sixth Corps to form and swing into
position on the ridge beyond Meadow run, where it had been encamped
before any portion of our attack could reach it, and so, fully organized, it
was able to resist for some hours our efforts to dislodge it from our flank ;
and when compelled by the weight of our artillery to fall back, it appeared
to do so in good order, so that it was in condition to participate in your sub
sequent successful attack on our line of battle just beyond Middletown.

The soldierly honors of the day on your side, the honors that always have
been and that always will be awarded to the men that unflinchingly take any
odds when duty calls to action, appear, beyond question, from the stand
point of present information, to belong to the brave men of your command.
In recognition of their display of such courage, it gives me pleasure to have
it in my power to salute them, whether living honored among their com
rades or dead on the field of honorable contest.

Very truly yours,

JED. HOTCHKISS,

Formerly Topographical Engineer
of the Army of the Valley District of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.

Following such testimony, the words of Gen. Emory himself,
concerning the execution of his order, add peculiar significance
to that notable act of heroism, and it is a pleasure to insert in
these memorial pages the portrait and letter of their old com
mander, under whom the regiment served with a glad confi
dence. Maj. Gen. Wm. H. Emory was a brave and skilful
leader, whose military judgment every soldier felt to be reliable.
In camp and field alike, on the march and under the hottest
fire, he had a personal care for his men and inspired them by
his own courageous example. His ride in front of the lines
during the battle of Opequon made the Green Mountain
veterans confident of victory, and his firm commands after the
morning surprise at Cedar Creek, reassured and gave them
hope.

214 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 1885.
MY DEAR COL. CARPENTER:

I am very glad to learn that you are about to write a regimental history
of the Eighth Vermont United States Volunteers. \Vlien I sent its heroic
colonel, Gen. Thomas, across the pike at Cedar Creek, to support the
Eighth Corps under Gen. Crook, I was immediately occupied in defending
my own headquarters, and in changing the front of battle of the Nineteenth
Corps, which was assailed in the rear by the total collapse of the Eighth
Corps. But I well knew the gallantry of the Eighth Vermont and of the
officers who commanded it, and I felt safe in doing the only thing that could
have been done under the terrible circumstances surrounding us.

Both in Louisiana and in the valley of the Shenandoah, the Eighth Ver
mont was a solid and reliable regiment, that could be depended on under
the scorching heats of the South as well as the rigorous winter climate of
the Shenandoah.

I remain, Colonel, with great regard,

Your comrade and friend,

VV. H. EMORY.

Col. Herbert E. Hill, who has made a faithful study of the
history of the battle, contributes the following description of
the movements in which his regiment took part.

THE MORNING FIGHT.

In the morning fight at Cedar Creek, the colors of the Eighth
Vermont passed through a terrible ordeal, and received a
bloody baptism. But for the heroic and loyal souls in that
little band, who stood up nobly against fearful odds on the
memorable morning of October iQth, 1864, the regimental
standard would never have come out of the battle triumphant.

The thrilling story of the fight over the standards is no myth.
It was a horrid, desperate, hand-to-hand encounter for posses
sion of the flags — a fierce, excited, and daring foe on one side,
loyal and equally brave men on the other. Gen Crook's corps,
located on our left and partially in our front, had been surprised,
overborne, and swept away. Gen. Thomas, after a furious ride,
hotly pursued and barely escaping with his life, had arrived
from the picket line, and, by direct verbal order of Maj. Gen.
Emory, had led his brigade forward across the pike, a mere

Forbes Co.

MAJ, GEN. WM. H, EMORY.

STRUGGLING FOR THE FLAGS. 21$

handful of men, to meet and resist whole divisions made up of
the flower of the rebel army.

By the fortune of war, the Eighth Vermont, under Maj.
Mead, occupied the most exposed position in the brigade, as
the enemy, with deafening yells, were moving swiftly in from,
front and flank. As the great drops of rain and hail precede the
hurricane, so now the leaden hail filled the air, seemingly from
all directions, while bursting shell from the enemy's cannon on
the opposite hill created havoc on our only flank not yet exposed
to the rebel infantry. Regiment after regiment of the Eighth
Corps had crumbled away and gone past to the rear ; our two
companion regiments, the Twelfth Connecticut and One Hun
dred and Sixtieth New York, terribly smitten, clung tenaciously
to us, their love as cordially reciprocated ; yet the sudden rush
of the enemy from every direction, in their yellowish suits,
breaking through even the short intervals between the com
mands, forced each regiment to fight its own battle ; and so the
Eighth Vermont was practically alone for a time, — and who can
count such moments? — as the swarming enemy broke upon it
with almost resistless fury.

Suddenly a mass of rebels confronted the flags, and
with hoarse shouts demanded their surrender. Defiant shouts
went back. " Never ! " " Never ! " And then, amid tremendous
excitement, commenced one of the most desperate and ugly
hand-to-hand conflicts over the flags that has ever been recorded.
Men seemed more like demons than human beings, as they
struck fiercely at each other with clubbed muskets and bayo
nets. A rebel of powerful build, but short in stature, attempted
to bayonet Corporal Worden of the color-guard. Worden, a
tall, sinewy man, who had no bayonet on his musket, parried
his enemy's thrusts until some one, I think Sergt. Brown, shot
the rebel dead. A rebel soldier then levelled his musket and
shot Corporal Petre, who held the colors, in the thigh, — a
terrible wound, from which he died that night. He cried out :
" Boys, leave me ; take care of yourselves and the flag ! " But
in that vortex of hell men did not forget the colors ; and as
Petre fell and crawled away to die, they were instantly seized and

2l6 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

borne aloft by Corporal Perham, and were as quickly demanded
again, by a rebel who eagerly attempted to grasp them ; but
Sergt. Shores of the guard placed his musket at 4he man's breast
and fired, instantly killing him. But now another flash, and a
cruel bullet from the dead rebel's companion killed Corporal
Perham, and the colors fall to the earth. Once more, amid
terrific yells, the colors went up, this time held by Corporal
Blanchard ; — and the carnage went on.

Lieut. Cooper was seen to raise his arm in the air ; and
shouting " Give it to them, boys ! " he too was stricken with a
death wound, and his white, sad, dead face is one of the living
memories of the spot. Lieut. Cooper's death was instantly
avenged, however, by Sergt. Hill, of Company A, who shot the
rebel. Hill then turned to assist a wounded companion who
had fallen at his side, when an excited enemy made a lunge at
him, his bayonet gliding between the body and arm. He sprang
quickly away, and by an adroit movement knocked the rebel
down with clubbed musket, and continued fighting until sur
rounded and forced into the enemy's ranks, but refused to
surrender, when a side shot tore away his belt, cartridge box,
and the flesh to his backbone, which crippled him to the ground ;
but when Gordon's divisions swept the spot, some of the rebels
wearing blue coats supposed to be taken from Crook's men,
Hill rose and joined them in the charge, shouting with the
rebels, and actually firing harmless shots at his own regiment.
He was once challenged by a rebel officer, to whom he
answered that he belonged to the Fourth Georgia.

At the next stand macle by the brigade on the pike, Hill
rushed into the Union line, although exposed to the fire of his
friends as well as his foes, and continued fighting till he sank
to the ground from loss of blood, fell into the enemy's hands,
and was again rescued at night.

The fight for the colors continued. A rebel discharged his
rifle within a foot of Corporal Bemis of the color guard, and
wounded him, but was in turn shot dead by one of our men.
A little later, Sergt. Shores and Lemuel Simpson were
standing together by the flags, when three rebels attacked and

FALLING FROM THE RANKS. 2 1/

ordered them to surrender ; but as they (the enemy) had just
discharged their pieces, Simpson immediately fired and shot
one, while Shores bayoneted the other. Sergt. Moran, whose
devotion to the flag was intensified by the regiment's forty-four
days' heroic action before Port Hudson, marvellously escaped,
for he was in the hottest of the fight, and held the United
States flag all the while, several times assisting in protecting
the colors.

But as the enemy crowded on, a hundred rebels took the
place of the dozen grasping for the flags. Sergt. Lamb, a noble,
generous fellow, was shot through the lungs and taken prisoner,
but later he fell into our hands again, and then died in great
agony. Capt. Howard was twice wounded while within a few
feet of the flags and almost in the centre of the savage melee,
but he managed to hobble away when the regiment was swept
back. Capt. Hall, honest and fearless, whose memory is
sacred, gave his last order as he yielded to a deadly wound.

Capt. Ford was shot through both legs by bullets coming
from opposite directions, and fell flat on his face, but refused
to surrender, struggled to his feet, and escaped in the excite
ment. Capt. Smith, who so coolly led the skirmish line at
Winchester, swells the bloody list. Maj. Mead, afterwards
colonel, while fearlessly facing the enemy, was badly wounded
in the side, and shortly turned the command over to Capt.
McFarland.

Later on, the brigade flag was in imminent danger of being
captured by the enemy, when Capt. Franklin, with half a dozen
of his company, furiously attacked the rebels who were
struggling for it, and rescued it from their clutch. Moving
back he was wounded, but gallantly remained with the regiment
during the afternoon. Lieut. Cheney was mortally wounded
and fell heavily to the ground. Lieut. Bruce, while beating
back a foe with his sword, was severely wounded. Lieut. Welch,
who so gallantly led the skirmish line at daybreak, and was
then fighting like a tiger, was shot in the thigh, but stood his
ground till the regiment went back. Private Austin received
a terrible blow on his head from the butt of a rebel musket,

2l8 THE EIGHTH VERMOXT.

instantly killing him. Capt. Shattuck, after receiving a bad
wound, bravely continued with his men, and Lieuts. Sargent
and Carpenter joined the list of heroes \uho shed their blood
around the flags ; while scores of brave fellows in the ranks
were torn and shattered in a manner shocking to behold. But
why continue the list ? Why open afresh the ugly wounds ?
Those not mentioned, who stood up so nobly, were every whit
as brave as all who fell, whose names appear elsewhere on the
" immortal roll of honor."

The fearful carnage had swept through the entire command,
and over one half the regiment was wounded or killed, when
the third color-bearer, Corporal Blanchard, was also killed, and
the silken colors, their soft folds pierced with bullets, and
their third bearer weltering in his blood, bowed low to the
earth amidst triumphant yells of the enemy ; but to their
chagrin in a few seconds it was again flaunting in their faces.
Bleeding, stunned, and being literally cut to pieces, but refus
ing to surrender colors or men, falling back only to prevent
being completely encircled, the noble regiment had accom
plished its mission.

Col. Thomas with his brave brigade blocked the advance of
the rebel divisions, and actually held the Confederate army at
bay until the Union commander could form the lines on grounds
of his own choice. In this terrible charge the Eighth Vermont,
the Twelfth Connecticut, and the One Hundred and Sixtieth
New York, were almost annihilated. Our own regiment lost
over one hundred gallant fellows, out of one hundred and fifty-
nine engaged, and thirteen out of sixteen commissioned offi
cers, who were killed or wounded in the fearful struggle, and
many of those who fell had been shot several times.

It was useless to stand against such fearful odds; neither
could such frightful butchery be endured longer ; and the
regiment, which had maintained its organization and gloriously
performed its mission in holding the enemy in check, now
almost completely surrounded by dense masses of rebel infantry,
was for a few moments tossed about as a leaf in the small, fitful
circle of a whirlwind, and then by a mighty gust lifted from

ONE LONE BRIGADE. 2 19

the ground and swept from the field, but not without the flags.
Moran, Shores, and Holt, three trusty sergeants, and Corp.
Worden, with others who had become wedded to the standards,
would as soon have thought of leaving their limbs on the field
as the flags, now more than sacred. But the flags still floated
over our heads, and a star of great brilliancy had been added
to the crown of the state which gave us an Ethan Allen and a
Stephen Thomas.

When nearly encircled and driven from the pike, the com
mand of Col. Thomas made another stand northeast of Sheridan's
headquarters, to support the only piece of Union artillery that
had not been withdrawn from the field. For this purpose the
colonel collected fugitives from the Eighth Corps, and with his
own brigade formed a line, and held the position until a portion
of a wagon train entangled in Meadow run could pass on and
escape. While thus engaged Gen. Crook rode up, and, after
saluting him, Col. Thomas said : "I've taken the liberty to put
some of your men into this line in order to save that train."
" All right ! " replied Crook, as he rode away as he came,
unattended by even an orderly. Then instead of moving
directly to the rear, as the rest of the Union troops had done,
Thomas took his command round the front of the Belle Grove
House, and made a second stand just west of it. Then he
crossed Meadow run and made a third stand in the rear of the
camp deserted by the Sixth Corps. It was here that the bri
gade flagstaff was cut down by a Confederate cannon shot.

Still, notwithstanding the advantages gained and the gallant
contest for every foot of ground, the enemy was haughty, arro
gant, and aggressive, and our army had been driven back sev
eral miles, when Sheridan arrived and here " took the affair in
hand," and quickly united the corps.

All the long morning the cry was heard on every side,
" Where 's Sheridan ? " " Where 's Sheridan ? " but no reply
came through the clenched lips, until finally, at a quarter of
ten o'clock, Sheridan, mounted on his black horse Winchester,
which was covered with foam, swept up from the pike amid
great cheering into the midst of his broken regiments, — a

220 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

great light in a dark valley. The despair of the morning's
awful struggle was now soon to give way to the ecstasy of vic
tory. m :

THE AFTERNOON FIGHT.

In the after part of the day the Eighth Regiment, reinforced
by detachments from the picket line, bore an honorable part
with the Second Brigade in deciding the Union victory.

During Sheridan's absence in the morning, the army, as
has been described, experienced all that is known under, the
name of defeat. The enemy had halted in his hot pursuit to
reorganize preparatory to the final move forward, which should
completely annihilate the Federal army. Sheridan hastily
formed a line across the valley for the purpose of checking the
advancing foe, and to that end phantom breastworks had been
hurriedly thrown up by means that under almost any other cir
cumstances would have been thought out of the question and
useless. Small trees were cut down and thrown in front ; with
bayonets earth and stones were dug up or loosened, and with
coffee cups this was thrown in among the brush and leaves,
together forming a slight protection against the enemy's bul
lets, whenever he should advance again. Imagine, then, the
surprise and amazement when Sheridan dashed over the field and
gave us the order to advance and meet the enemy in open fight.

It was now life or death, and every man knew it. The order
was instantly obeyed, and what were left of the Second Brigade
sprang over the little earthworks, and moved rapidly to the
front until they approached the timber. Here were scattering
trees with thick underbrush, from which there suddenly burst
a sheet of flame and smoke, before which the regiment slightly
recoiled, so terrible was the shock. Crashes of musketry rolled
down the entire line to the left. Sheridan was riding furiously
among the troops. Regimental officers were shouting their
commands, and the hideous rebel yell rent the air and added to
the general confusion. The rebel commander also realized
Sheridan's presence, but with pangs of pain, for he well knew
that the lightning strokes and the tiger springs of the Union

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A TURN OF THE TIDE. 221

regiments against his front, were being directed by a masterly
hand.

Lieut. Downs, at my side, shouted " Forward, men, forward ! "
Other company commanders, including Capt. McFarland, who
had commanded the regiment after Mead was wounded, and
Capt. Franklin, sprang forward and urged the men on. Quickly
the regiment dashed into the thick cedars, pouring a rapid
volley into the very faces of hidden foes. This rush brought us
into close quarters ; and, our own volleys exhausted, we again
met spattering crashes of musketry following in quick succes
sion, and the regiment once more partially recoiled before the
withering fire. Commanding officers vied with each other in
urging the men on, and the instant the enemy's volley slack
ened, the regiment swept forward and upon the rebel line,
which was only a few yards distant and in plain sight; only the
low cedar bushes separated us. A mighty shout went up, and
at that instant we realized that the enemy's line was giving
way, and we occupied the ground they held a moment before.

It is useless to attempt to describe the excitement of the
next few moments, as the regiment flung itself, so to speak, upon
the enemy. After the terrible experience in the morning, it
was but natural in this moment of victory that the men should
go to the opposite extreme of exultation ; and again, as in the
morning, virtually we were fighting alone, for the woods to our
left shut off the main army from our view. We were fighting
in a jungle, and only by the roar of battle and the wild shouts
and yells which rose above the din of artillery, could we deter
mine the position of the Union and rebel lines to our left.

As a fact, there was a continuous line along our entire front,
and as far as we could see to the left and some distance beyond
our right flank, we had driven this line back, but as yet were
unable to pierce it. Every inch of the ground was stubbornly
contested. The opportune time for the brigade had come.
Owing to the clearing and favorable condition of the ground,
Thomas's own regiment gained a decided advance, pierced
the enemy like an arrowhead, and had the fortune to
witness the first break in their line. We emerged from

222 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

the woods, and to our front was an open field for a quarter
of a mile, unobstructed save by the tall dried grass and frag
ments of a zigzag rail fence. The entire distance on the left
of the opening was flanked by patches of timber. Halfway
across there was a slight depression. To the right the ground
rose quite abruptly, so that the right of the brigade in charg
ing across the open space would find itself considerably higher
than the left or centre. On the right and beyond the centre
was quite a large area covered by tall trees and underbrush,
and beyond this a sharp descent.

As the brigade entered the open field, the enemy's line
stretched across our front, and but a few rods in advance ; and,
as if realizing the tremendous responsibility of the movement,
it swept into the field on the run. Owing to the nature of
the ground, the men crowded together, but just as the rebel
line was reached it broke. The supreme moment had arrived,
and with wild shouts the brigade dashed ahead. We pierced
the enemy's line of battle, and from that moment his doom
was sealed. All was now confusion : a portion of the enemy's
line surged down to the left and into the woods. Others
retreated on the run in our front, while another portion, perhaps
to the number of two or three hundred, rushed to the right and
into the timber, which offered the most natural and immediate
protection.

In the meantime Gen. Thomas's horse was shot and fell to
the ground. Suddenly, spattering shots, quickly increasing to a
rapid fire, came down from the trees on the right. The firing
was from the body of 'rebels which had taken refuge in the
timber ; and instead of retreating beyond, as we supposed, only
to be captured by our cavalry, had boldly returned to the attack
and opened a murderous fire into the right flank and rear of the
brigade.

I stood near our regimental colors, which had halted, probably
on account of the accident to the general, and shouted to the
men to return or the flags would be captured. The sharp firing
from the right instantly attracted the attention of the regiment,
and in squads and singly within five minutes most of them

VICTORY ASSURED. 22$

returned to the colors. The enemy's fire was rapidly returned,
the men firing at will, when by order of Gen. Thomas the
brigade with shouts and yells charged into the woods.* The
enemy broke in great confusion and ran to the south and west.
The brigade then swung to the front again, and with excited
shouts and cheers, accompanied by Gen. Thomas on foot, rushed
on after the now thoroughly defeated and disheartened foe.f

It was a singular coincidence that the brigade which marched
out and met the fiercest fire in the morning, and suffered the
heaviest loss, was the first to pierce the enemy's line in the
afternoon. There was also a grim satisfaction in knowing that
the swath was being cut through the identical divisions from
which we recived the combined assault at early dawn.

Here again human nature showed itself as some of the men
jumped up and down, shouted, threw their hats or caps into the
air in their excitement. I remember distinctly at that moment
looking back and seeing a line approaching from the rear and
left which I suppose to have been the troops Gen. McMillan
mentions in his report as the two regiments of the First Bri
gade, ordered to swing to the right and assist in dislodging the
hidden foe. But as a fact they did not come within hailing
distance until after we had charged and routed the enemy.

Early's left flank (Evans's brigade) was now completely shat
tered, and his demoralized forces retreated rapidly toward his
centre, with the exception of the few who went off to the right.
Then we charged down into Gordon's other brigades, and soon
found ourselves in advance of the main army. Sheridan was in
at the break. He was mounted on his gray charger, to
which he had changed from the black horse Winchester, and
once during the fight was so near we could have touched

* The attack was brilliantly made; the enemy's resistance was very determined. His line
of battle overlapped mine, and by turning with that portion of it on the flank of the Nine
teenth Corps caused a. slight momentary confusion. This movement was checked, however,
by a charge of McMillan's brigade on there-entering angle, and the enemy's flanking party
was cut off. — Gen. Sheridan's report.

t Then followed one of the most extraordinary reversals in the history of any war.
Sheridan moved around our flank, swept down it, and broke our line all to fragments. —
Gen. Gordon 's account, Burr's history.

224 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

him. Here in a nutshell was the secret of his success :
First, Sheridan had the absolute confidence of his men.
He won it. He was never known to .ask or order his
men to go where he would not go himself. He often rode
furiously into the hottest of the fight, apparently a reckless
exposure of life ; but his presence aroused his soldiers to per
form deeds of valor hitherto thought impossible. Second,
Sheridan always fought by a plan, as on the bloody plains of
Winchester and the ragged heights of Fisher's Hill. So here
his plan unfolded itself to the men as the battle progressed,
revealing in the bright light of victory his rare military strategy.

Just here another rare privilege was accorded to the Eighth
Vermont, for as we turned forever from this scene, we caught sight
for a moment of the dashing Custer, that prince of horsemen,
on an opposite eminence towards the setting sun, as he started
with his famous division on that fierce charge which did not end
till long after dark, and in terrible loss to the retreating foe.

After this there were vain attempts to check our onward
course ; but there was hardly a halt of the regiment as we
pressed through the timber or clearing, with two or three
exceptions, — the first, when we encountered two pieces of
artillery, and on one occasion felt almost sure they were within
our grasp ; but after emptying themselves of grape and canis
ter, they -were hauled off to our left and front, to annoy us again
further on. The second, when we were crowding them on too
closely, they savagely turned and shot down Corp. Worden, our
temporary color-bearer. This only seemed to rouse the regi
ment to further effort, /and it pressed fiercely on again.

Wounded and dead men marked the enemy's pathway as we
rushed over logs, fences, and through thickets, till the regiment
emerged from the timber and came out on the brow of a hill,
in advance of any other Union troops, and in full view of almost
the entire rebel army. What a sight ! Such as our army never
beheld before, and never would again ; the event of a lifetime.*

* When Evans's brigade gave way, Gordon's other brigades soon followed. Gen. Gordon
made every possible effort to rally his men, but without avail. The information of this affair
passed rapidly along Kershaw's and Ramseur's lines, and their men, under fear of being
flanked, commenced falling back in disorder. — Gen. Early's report.

PUSHING THE FOE. 22$

We had completed so much of a turn as to face nearly east,
and double the enemy's left back upon their centre, and stood
on their flank overlooking what then became a great, rushing,
turbulent, retreating army, without line or apparent organiza
tion, hurrying and crowding on in mad retreat. Back across
the sea of half-upturned faces of the enemy we could see the
Union flags advancing amid the belt of smoke and -flame that
half encircled the doomed Confederates, while there was a
continual roar of musketry and artillery.

While the mighty panorama streamed on in utter confusion,
our men strained every nerve to make the most of their
opportunity, for every shot told, and there seemed to be a
savage fascination in avenging the terrible loss suffered in the
morning fight. But at that moment, the Sixth Corps, seeing
our men across the skirt of the meadow, mistook them for
Confederates, and fired upon them, before the error was dis
covered. But the regiment ceased firing, and waved its flags,
to enable the Sixth Corps to identify it.

This danger soon past, the regiment resumed firing with a
vengeance, only to attract the attention of the enemy's artillery,
and a battery of two guns opened on us from a little eminence
opposite our right and across the meadow. The first shot
buried itself in the bank below ; then a second, and a little
nearer ; while the third plunged underneath us, tearing up the
ground and whirling the writer completely about. The regi
ment at this point lost several badly wounded, and two or three
killed.

An officer rode up from the rear and hurriedly ordered Col.
Thomas to charge and take the battery. " That's what we are
after, sir," replied Thomas ; u I 'm only waiting for support."
As a fact, the Eighth Regiment at that moment was entirely
alone. But the order to move forward was given, and the
regiment dashed down the bank skirting the meadow and
alongside the flying fragments of rebel regiments, closely fol
lowed by the Twelfth Connecticut, cheering as they ran. The
battery saw us coming, and fired with redoubled energy, but
our close proximity and the depression of the ground saved us
15

226 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

from loss, and in their confusion the gunners fired wildly, so
that most of the storm intended for us fell short or swept just
over our heads. The battery would ha\^ been captured,
but the guns were hastily hauled down the opposite slope out of
our clutches, to join in the grand rush across Cedar Creek,
under a shower of bullets from our victorious rifles.

As the pursuing infantry reached again the ground where their
morning camp had stood, the Eighth Vermont still in advance,
a halt of half an hour was made, for bringing in our wounded
men, some of whom fell in the morning and had lain all day on
the disputed field, and were shivering in the raw night air.
Fire was built, and coffee prepared for the refreshment of the
men after their long fast ; but before it could be served, orders
came to advance again, and, leaving the wounded to the
surgeons, and the dead uncared for, on we went again, after
the flying foe.

The enemy crossed Cedar Creek, hurried on and entrenched
near midnight behind their old breastworks, beyond Fort Banks
and Strasburg. But our regiment followed closely, and, crawl
ing up under their works, found themselves on the very spot
they had occupied the night before the battle of Fisher's Hill.
The men lay on their arms, under strict orders to observe silence
and not even to speak aloud. But before daylight Thomas
moved his regiment back to Fort Banks. Rosser's cavalry still
hovered on the pike below, and the Union cavalry coming up,
the regiment had a chance to watch from its position a brief
but sharp engagement before the rebel horsemen fled.

During the day the army captured from the enemy forty-eight
cannon, including twenty-four taken from us in the morning,
ten battle flags, thousands of small arms, and a large number
of prisoners, and Early's army was virtually annihilated. The
Eighth Vermont entered the fight nearly two hours earlier than
the other Vermont troops. It received the fiercest charge of
the day. Its relative loss of numbers actually engaged in the
morning fight was heavier than that of any other Union regi
ment. It led the charge back, and was a part of the "arrow
head " which had the honor to first pierce the enemy's line of

RECAP/TULA TION. 22J

battle in the afternoon ; — maintaining that advance, it was at
midnight farther to the front in pursuit of the enemy than any
of Sheridan's infantry. Thus closed the battle.

While Col. Thomas was warning the Union commander on
the very eve of battle, the Confederate general Gordon was at
that moment selecting a pathway through which his divisions,
including Stonewall Jackson's old brigade, should, under cover
of darkness, creep on their way to the world-renowned charge
that fell with such awful fury on the Second Brigade.

Notwithstanding the earnest warning of the corps officer of
the day, the Union army was lulled into a feeling of security by
other reports; and the world knows that the first reconnois-
sance in the morning was made by the enemy, and Crook's
corps, the first attacked, was not standing at arms, or out in
the morning until driven out at the point of the enemy's bayo
net ; and many a poor fellow awoke only to meet the blinding
flash and cruel bullet from the musket of the charging foe.
* When Thomas left Wright's headquarters he went to the
front for the night, and did not dismount again until his horse
was shot from under him. At three o'clock in the morning,
the moon shining dimly, Thomas, accompanied by Lieut.
Howe, rode out to the picket line. His suspicions were not
allayed, but with no fear that our army would be surprised
after his repeated warnings, he rode up across the pike, ordered
the fires put out, and every available man on picket. At
this time he heard the light crackle of Rosser's signal
shots on our right, and Gordon's answer on our left, soon fol
lowed by crashes of musketry and wild yells of Kershaw's
charging brigades.

" They '11 be fearfully punished before they get into Crook's
works," said Lieut. Howe, as both wheeled for the pike,
only to ride into a company of rebel cavalry, probably
belonging to Wharton ; and at the same moment a volley of
musketry rang out above them from Wharton 's infantry. At
this moment one of the nearest horsemen shouted to Thomas,
" Surrender, you d — d Yankee !" " No, sir !" said Thomas ; "it
is too early in the morning ; besides, your language is not re-

228 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

spectful." And striking spurs into his horse he dashed away
toward the creek. A wild, savage yell broke from the throats
of the rebel horsemen, as they followed at a tnad gallop, and a
shower of bullets cut the air about Thomas's head as they raced
toward the Union lines. In the darkness and gloom, down the
steep banks of the creek, Thomas and his aid marvellously
escaped, and, lying flat on his horse, he climbed the steep bank
opposite. He was soon in the presence of Gens. Emory
and McMillan, and just at daybreak received the order to take
his brigade across the pike, and check the advance of the
enemy.

There 's a strange love for the old flag burning in our hearts.
It is inconceivable, indescribable, absolutely unknown to one
never in battle or active service — a "strange something, born
of war "; perhaps born on the long, weary march, when hunger
stares in the face and thirsty lips cry for water. It is strength
ened on the lonely picket line, as the soldier walks his beat at
midnight, or crouches in the gloom as he hears the cry of pain
from his next comrade, who perhaps falls with the bright flash
and the rebel bullet from a concealed foe. It is welded as a
band of hot iron in the fire and wild tumult of battle, and sealed
by the blood of hero martyrs, as they pour out their lives amid
horrible carnage, that liberty may live.

And lastly, it is made perfect by long suffering, either of hun
ger, thirst, weariness of body, the ugly wounds and the agony
that follows on the battlefield or in the hospital, or the horrid
prison pens with their 'exposure and starvation. I repeat it,
love for the old flag is —

"That strange something, born of war; "

and as we meet, and the flag is brought again into our midst,
and we live over and over again the battles of the war, with
memories that in times past would crowd and distinguish centu
ries, — but in our lives compressed within the compass of a
single day, — do we not find the long roll of wounded and dead
cut as with a knife in our quivering hearts ? You may call it
only sentiment, but it is true to life.

A SAD INVENTORY. 229

The war and all its precious memories — soul-lifting or sad —
seems now like some strange dream. The mighty host of
armed men, whose tramp caused the nations to tremble, has
gone from our sight. Their wild battle cry will be heard no
more forever ; their battle flag will come forth no more to war.
Our flag is furled, — a precious relic for future generations, and
a proud fact to us that only men brave, daring, heroic, and,
better still, loyal to the core, ever bore aloft the colors and flag
of that grand old regiment, the Eighth Vermont Volunteers.

INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHT.

The loss in killed and wounded at Cedar Creek was greater
than the regiment had suffered in any one previous engagement.
Those killed were : Lieut. Aaron K. Cooper and Lucius
Estes, Company A ; Corp. George F. Blanchard, James S.
Bigelow, Wm. J. Fadden, Company B ; John H. Day, Company
D ; George E. Austin, Company G ; Sergt. Jonathan V. Allen
and George E. Ormsby, Company H ; Sergt. Lewis H. Lamb,
Alonzo Mills, Charles F. Phillips, Company I ; Corp. John
Petrie, Corp. Lyman F. Perham, Paschal P. Shores, Franklin
Russell, Company K.

Among the wounded were : Maj. John B. Mead, Capt. A. B.
Franklin, Capt. Edward Hall (died from wounds), Capt. Wm. H.
Smith, Capt. George O. Ford, Capt. S. E. Howard, Adj. S.
W. Shattuck, Lieut. Andrew J. Sargent, Lieut James Welch,
Lieut. Martin L. Bruce, Lieut. Wm. H. Spencer, Lieut. F.
R. Carpenter, Lieut. Nathan C. Cheney (died from wounds) ;
Lieut. Lewis Childs, of Gen. McMillan's staff, was injured by
the falling of his horse, which was shot from under him ; Lieut.
Henry H. Newton, of Company A, had his horse shot while
riding on detached service, and his leg was broken by the
fall ; Sergt. Seth C. Hill, Aliston E. Shepard, Oliver P. Dun
ham, Company A ; Sergt. Henry H. Holt, Corp. Myron P. War
ren (died from wounds), Silas Baker, Company B ; John M.
Waldron, Charles Collins, John V. Goodell (died from wounds) ;
William Leith (died from wounds), Oscar Page, Company C ;

230 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Joseph S. Rollins, Wm. C. Bliss, Asa Thompson (died from
wounds), Joseph Mansur, Samuel W. Scott, Jeremiah D.
Styles, George N. M. Bean, Henry C. Richardson, F. G.
Thomas (died from wounds), George H. Austin, Company D ;
Edwin Phelps, George R. Grant, Julius L. Poor, James Robin
son, Company E ; Abraham Douglass, George G. Smith, Com
pany F ; Fabien Dupuis, Antonius Depuys, Wm. D. Plumley,
James H. Bement, Company G ; Sergt. Henry B. Brown, Wm. H.
Reed (died from wounds), Samuel S. Childs (died from wounds),
Albert O. Evans (died from wounds), Frankford H. Bates,
Simeon Canedy, Obediah N. Russell, George W. Skinne'r,
George A. Williams, Cyrus M. White, George A. White,
George R. Harrington, Company H ; Corp. A. S. Worden,
Corp. Leonard C. Bemis, Sidney L. May, Elmer Fitts,
Warren W. Kerr, Daniel B. Mills, Company I ; Sergt. Solon
L. Simons, Ransom Coolbeth, George Page, Albert D. Grant,
Sewall Simpson, Ethan P. Shores, John D. Lewis (died from
wounds), Company K.

Among those taken prisoners on the picket line at Cedar
Creek, for the list cannot be made complete, were : Lieut. F. R.
Carpenter, Company F ; Edward Swords, John R. Dawson,
Company B ; Rollin E. Larned, Oscar Maxham, Edwin Phelps,
George Tracy, Company E ; Abraham Douglass, George G.
Smith, John Duling, Thomas H. Henchey, Company F ; Corp.
S. N. Coles, B. F. Arnold, Company G ; Geo. E. Mudgett, Zeb.
Mitchell, Oliver P. Dunham, Stephen C. Albee, Company A.

Sergt. Bowman, of Company E, with two companions, was
captured twice, and finally escaped to the Union lines.

Lieut. Carpenter was taken to Richmond and confined in
Libby prison, where he suffered a long time, but notified his
family where he was in the following singular manner: Hav
ing subscribed for the Richmond Daily Inquirer, he paid six
dollars to have a " personal " inserted in its columns. This
notice was copied into a New York paper, which happened to
fall into the hands of his family in Vermont, who were thus
informed of his whereabouts.

Capt. McFarland relates that when he found his regiment

OLD PETE. 231

likely to be swept back after taking their position beyond the
pike, daring the morning fight, he sent Geo. E. Mudgett, of
Company A, back to the camp with orders to gather up and
save whatever valuables he could. Having done so, instead of
staying in the rear, as he might very properly have done,
Mudgett rejoined his company, when he and three companions
were surrounded and captured by the enemy. He was taken to
Andersonville, where he suffered terribly. During his stay
there the officers in charge tried to induce him to enlist in the
Confederate army, and finally offered him fifty dollars in their
money and a pound of meat if he would do so. This to a
starving man was a tempting bribe, but Mudgett was " true
blue " to the last, and emphatically refused the offer.

After the brigade under Col. Thomas had been driven back,
and while they were almost cut off and nearly surrounded by
the enemy, Robert Sturgeon, of Company C, was set upon by
a Confederate private, who ordered him to halt, to which he paid
no attention. The Johnny pursued and emphasized his order
by a thrust with his bayonet, which pierced Sturgeon's cloth
ing, going between his shirt and skin, and coming out through
the clothing in front under his arm. Thus admonished by the
cold steel, Sturgeon, who had lost his bayonet and whose gun
was unloaded, halted ; but one of his comrades who was near
at hand, and had observed the whole, came up and discharged
his gun point blank at the head of the rebel, and both Union
soldiers escaped, the whole transaction having occupied only
a few seconds of time.

When old Pete, the horse ridden by Col. Thomas, and which
he valued highly, was shot, the colonel said as he sprang away
from him : " It better be you than I, poor fellow ! " and the
wounded beast was left behind to die. But he recovered suffi
ciently to follow the troops and seek out his master's headquar
ters that night, where the colonel caused his hurt to be
dressed, and when he was well, sent him to Vermont, where old
Pete lived to a good old age, and was treated with marked
consideration as one of the noted equine heroes of the war.

The Twenty-sixth Massachusetts had completed their term

232 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

of service just before the Cedar Creek fight ; but on hearing
that there was to be a battle, about a hundred and fifty of them
who were awaiting transportation North, deckled to remain and
take part in the engagement. They did so, and Lieut. Tilden
was killed and several others wounded. This magnanimity on
their part was deeply touching to the Eighth Vermont, whose
members became pleasantly acquainted with them at Ship
Island, and served with them for years.

After the battle Captains Geo. O. Ford, S. E. Howard, and
Wm. H. Smith were granted furloughs on account of their
severe wounds, and on their way home stopped at Baltimore to
get their pay and procure clothing and other necessaries for
their journey. They lost all their changes of clothing when
the camp was captured in the morning fight, and were obliged to
start northward dressed as they had been on the field, in the
dilapidated uniforms in which they had campaigned through
the summer. To say, then, that they were ragged, bloody, and
unkempt, but faintly expresses the poverty of their apparel.
Each officer was very lame. Ford had been shot through both
legs and could scarcely hobble ; Howard carried his arm in a
sling and had one leg nearly disabled ; Smith was crippled by
a ball in the thigh.

In such a plight the trio reached the city, booked at the
Eutaw House, and, dinner being ready, proceeded at once
to the dining-room, where their appearance created quite a
sensation among the ladies and gentlemen at the tables. While
waiting for their orders to be filled, a champagne cork popped
near by, and though they did not mistake the report for one of
Early's signal guns, their attention was drawn to the move
ments of a waiter who began to fill their glasses. Could it be
another Cedar Creek surprise ? or had there been a mistake ?

"What are you about?" asked one of the officers. "We
ordered no wine."

" Massa Gen. Lew Wallace's compliments, sah," said the
sable waiter with unction.

They ascertained later that the general was at one of the
tables, and, observing their entrance, had guessed they came

A FRESH COMPLIMENT. 233

from the bloody field which was the sole topic of conversation.
He not only showed them this courtesy, but afterwards took
them under his special charge, assisted them in getting their
pay, and exerted himself in every way to make their stay in the
city pleasant.

Maj. Mead, after having his wounds dressed, mounted his
horse and followed up his regiment unattended, overtook them
at Fisher's Hill that night, and resumed his duties.

It would seem almost needless to multiply testimony to the
bravery of the Second Brigade, exhibited in facing singly and
unsupported the furious onslaught of Early's most powerful army
corps ; but just at this moment there appears in the fresh pages
of Hon. G. G. Benedict's "Vermont in the Civil War" this
reference to the deed :

" Among the troops brought forward for this purpose [to face Kershaw
and Gordon] was a brigade of brave Connecticut, Maine, Pennsylvania,
New York, and Vermont troops, under command of Col. Stephen Thomas
of the Eighth Vermont. Thomas had been among the first to get his bri
gade into line, and he was at once ordered forward to the left, across the
pike, to stem the rout. He moved promptly forward to the west of a ravine
and copse of woods, a crowd of fugitives pouring through his lints as he
took position. Gen. Wright made an earnest effort to rally the men of the
Eighth Corps on the turnpike under this cover; but it could not be done,
and Thomas was thus without support in his desperate task of checking
Gordon's victorious assault. He made several successive stands, holding
the crest till his brigade was flanked on the right and left by overwhelming
numbers, then falling back to the pike, where the same operation was
repeated, and finally rejoining the division, with his brigade diminished by
a third, — the heaviest loss suffered by any brigade during the day."

Instances of men re-entering the service after being honorably
discharged are not so frequent but that one may be singled
out for special mention. Lieut. James Welch, of Company G,
entered the service as a private, and rose to be sergeant, then
second lieutenant, then first lieutenant of his company. At the
morning battle at Cedar Creek, he commanded Company G as
skirmishers, and his line first met the Confederates as they
came rushing through the woods. In this engagement he was

234 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

severely wounded, and as the forces, fell back, barely escaped
being captured by the enemy. On account of consequent disa
bility he was honorably discharged from Uie regiment. But
as soon as he recovered sufficiently to sit on a horse, he wished
to return to the field, and the governor of Vermont appointed
him quartermaster of the Eighth Regiment, March 27th, 1865 ;
and in that capacity he did good service until the close of the
war.

Capt. S. E. Howard was a mere boy when he enlisted as a
private in Company H. He was afterwards promoted to second
lieutenant, then to first lieutenant. During the campaign up
the Teche to Alexandria, and the siege of Port Hudson, he was
acting quartermaster of the regiment. He was then promoted
to the captaincy of Company C, which he commanded in the
battles of Opequon and Fisher's Hill. In the battle of Cedar
Creek he was disabled by severe wounds, and on that account
received an honorable discharge in the following December.
As a soldier and officer, Capt. Howard was made of the best
stuff, and earned each honor he received by duties well per
formed.

Captain Edward Hall, of Company E, who died a few days
after the battle from wounds received at Cedar Creek, was one
of the oldest officers in the regiment. He served through the
Louisiana campaign, and re-enlisted as a veteran. In one of
the first encounters at an outpost of his command, that of
Bayou des Allemands, he was taken prisoner with his entire
detachment, being overcome by superior numbers. His conspic
uous services at the siege of Port Hudson and in the Virginia
campaigns, won for him an honorable name among his associate
and superior officers.

Lieut. Aaron K. Cooper, who fell in the terrible fight made
by his regiment on the iQth instant, enlisted in Company A as
a private, became a non-commissioned officer, and then second
lieutenant of his company. He also joined the veteran regi-

FAITHFUL OFFICERS. 235

ment after the term of his first enlistment had expired. He
was greatly beloved by his men and brother officers ; and his
body was recovered after the battle, and buried in the national
cemetery at Winchester.

Lieut. Nathan C. Cheney, of Company K, whose wounds
received at Cedar Creek soon proved fatal, rose from the ranks
by faithful and efficient service, and was a brave and capable
officer.

XL

NEWTOWN.

AFTER their defeat at Cedar Creek, the southern army con
tinued to menace the Shenandoah Valley, as the sea lashes the
shore after the fury of a storm is spent. But the tide of Con
federate success had turned, never again to touch the high-
water mark. During the night that followed the scenes related
in the last chapter, Early halted his flying troops behind the
entrenchments on Fisher's Hill ; but before the dawn of
another day he withdrew up the valley to New Market, where
he remained on the defensive for three weeks.

On the Qth of November, Gen. Sheridan returned toward
Kernstown, where he could find better quarters and a shorter
line of supplies. Being in doubt whether his antagonist would
attempt another aggressive movement, for the Confederate
strength had been augmented since their last engagement,
he disposed his forces so as to be prepared for attack at any
moment, and held his line.

On the day after the Union army withdrew to the north,
Early followed with his entire force as far as Middletown, and
a sharp cavalry encounter ensued at Newtown, where the front
of the Union line rested. After that there was frequent skir
mishing with mounted troops, which resulted in the capture of
many Confederate guns and prisoners. But on the I4th instant,
the enemy again moved back to New Market, and before the
end of the month a large portion of Early's troops had been
transferred to other commands, so that the presence of the

A CAVALRY DASH. 237

entire Union army in the valley was no longer required.
Accordingly, the Sixth and Eighth Corps were ordered away in
December, and at the close of the year 1864, Sheridan had left
only the Nineteenth Corps to go into winter quarters.

When Early's cavalry charged upon the Union lines on
the 1 2th, they found the Eighth Vermont on picket near
the turnpike ; and before they came near enough to use their
weapons, the reserve was ordered up and a formidable body of
infantry was ready to receive them. In front of the picket
line was an apple orchard, beyond which the ground descended
abruptly into a deep ravine. Into this the skirmishers deployed
by the troopers soon disappeared, and a detachment from the
regiment was sent forward to watch their movements. But
they had scarcely reached the brink of the gorge when they
were met by the mounted Johnnies, and came back on the run
under a scattering fire from the enemy, which was returned
with much spirit by the infantry. A brisk engagement might
have ensued, had not the Union vedettes been between the pickets
and the cavalry, thus preventing them from being fired upon ;
therefore an order was given to cease firing instantly, lest they
as well as the saucy skirmishers should be endangered. Then
the enemy tried to capture the vedettes, but failing to do so,
and finding the situation uncomfortable, they dashed into the
ravine again, and the entire brigade of Confederate horse
showed heel and rapidly galloped away.

While the brigade remained at Newtown, supposing they
were to pass the winter there, Gen. Sherman was prosecuting
his famous march to the sea, and about ten o'clock one night
Col. Thomas received information that he had reached the
suburbs of Savannah. Knowing that his men were much
interested in the progress of that unique campaign, the
colonel did not communicate the news to any one, but issued
an order for his command to be in line at a certain point at
seven o'clock next morning, which in those short days \vas
a very early hour. He then told his acting adjutant general,
Capt. Shattuck, to meet them and read them a notice of
Sherman's success. It was a cold, windy morning, and "as his

238 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

voice was not very heavy," said Col. Thomas, "I knew that
but a small part of the brigade really understood what the
adjutant was saying. When he got through I thought I would
repeat the notice, and I was quite sure they heard it all along
the line. I finished by shouting at the top of my voice :
' Satan's kingdom 's coming down, glory hallelujah ! ' Then
turning to Shattuck, I added : ' I thought they did n't quite
understand you, but I believe they heard me.' ' Yes,' said he,
' anybody could have heard you two miles away.' "

During the latter part of November and the early part of
December quite a number of promotions were made in the
regiment. Under date of November 24th, Maj. J. B. Mead
was made lieutenant colonel ; Capt. A. B. Franklin, Company
H, major; First Lieut. Henry Carpenter, Company F, adju
tant; First Lieut. L. M. Hutchinson, captain Company E;
Adj. S. W. Shattuck, captain Company H ; M. L. Hodgkins,
first lieutenant Company F ; James Welch, Company G, first
lieutenant; Sec. Lieut. Joseph N. Dunton, Company H, first
lieutenant ; Sec. Lieut. Ezra H. Brown, Company A, first
lieutenant ; Henry H. Newton, Company A, second lieutenant.

Capt. S. E. Howard, Company C, was honorably discharged
Dec. Qth ;• and Sec. Lieut. Nathaniel Robie, Company D, died
of disease, Dec. 6th.

SUMMIT POINT.

On the 2Oth day of December, orders were received at
Newtown to break camp, and at three o'clock in the afternoon
the Eighth Vermont, with other troops in the command, began
to move northward, and passing through Winchester that even
ing, the march was continued until midnight, when a halt was
made. The men dropped down on the frozen ground, rolled
themselves in their blankets, and went to sleep under a starless
sky, with plenty of fresh air circulating through their spacious
bed chambers. But Mother Nature, probably fearful that her
tired boys would not be warm enough, stepped in and tucked

SKIRMISHING. 239

them all up under one of her immaculate white winter cover
lets of downy crystals ; and when they were aroused at day
break, her thoughtfulness caused them no little surprise, as
they brushed some of the loose snowy feathers from their faces,
and shivered a little to find the new day showing such a north
ern New England aspect.

A tramp of two hours through the snow brought the troops
to Summit Point, where the regimental camp was established
for the winter. Although no more Opequon bayonet charges
or Cedar Creek surprises awaited the veterans from old Ver
mont, their quarters were by no means a lodge of comfortable
indolence. The adjacent railroad line had to be guarded, in
order to protect its transportation business ; block houses
were required to be built as a defence against guerilla raids ;
and guard and picket duty was very exacting. Small forces of
the enemy hovered about the camp at frequent intervals, with
which the skirmishers would have a brush ; and occasionally a
Union soldier would be wounded.

The danger of attack did not arise from the close proximity
of the formidable army with which they had so bravely coped
in the autumn ; but the wily Mosby, with his band of prowling
guerillas, menaced them with the utmost persistence, making
their life not unlike that of white settlers in colonial times, who
were constantly in danger of being murdered by savages. The
block houses built to protect the veterans from surprises were
a revival of the old stockades, within which the Puritan secreted
his family when a warwhoop announced the approach of the
cruel red men.

Mosby's method of attack was to make a sudden dash upon
a train or a detail of unprotected soldiers, fire a few shots,
gather up valuable booty and capture prisoners, then disappear
as suddenly. In this kind of worrying his men were expert and
bold, and there was no time, day or night, when their raids might
not be expected. On one occasion a hundred horsemen swooped
down upon a squad of ten or a dozen men, within a stone's throw
of the regimental headquarters, and ran them off at the side of
their horses, without firing a shot They were beyond rifle

240 THE EIGHTH VERMONT,

range before the camp was alarmed, and the captured Yankees,
were hurried off to starve in Libby prison.

In February a party of about twenty men were sent to the
forest about half a rnile away to chop wood for the camp. They
stacked their arms, took their axes, and went to work ; but
without a moment's warning, a band of guerillas dashed in-
between them and their muskets, drew revolvers upon them,
and marched them off as prisoners. For two days and a night
they tramped through the country without stopping ; then a
short halt was made, and they were given a scanty ration of
" corn dodgers " for breakfast. Then resuming the march they
soon arrived at Libby prison, where the luckless wood choppers
passed several weeks before they were exchanged. In that
place of torment, the horrors of which have probably never
been exaggerated, those poor fellows were subjected to all
the atrocious barbarities that inhumanity could suggest. By
long days of fasting they were made willing to appease their
hunger on the only articles provided for them which bore the
least semblance to food, — a little decaying meat and sour,
mouldy bread, — and to slake their consuming thirst with water
too filthy to wash in.

Only part of these prisoners survived the terrible ordeal, and
the misery of those who lived was heightened by the spectacle
of the bodies of their deceased comrades lying unbnried for
days, or thrown outside to be torn and devoured by half-starved
dogs.

In this connection might be related the sad experience of
six prisoners captured in the morning at Cedar Creek, who
were sent to Andersonville. Their captors had plundered
them of nearly all their clothing, so that they were exposed to
an inclement atmosphere with no adequate protection, and
during the chilly nights they nearly perished with cold. To
better their miserable plight as far as possible, the poor fellows
dug a hole in the ground, into which they crept to sleep at
night, in lieu of a bed. They had only two blankets, but they
huddled together as closely as possible, and once in an hour
or two the outside man, who was most exposed, exchanged

THOMAS MUSTER-ED OUT. 241

places with one in the middle, and in that way contrived to
drown his sufferings in sleep. One unusually cold night
Thomas Henchey occupied the outside place during the first
hour after midnight, but when the others tried to rouse him to
get up and take the warmer berth, he made no response ; he
was dead. A horror fell on his five companions, nor did they
dare go to sleep again that night, lest they too share the fate of *
poor Tom.

The following names of prisoners taken on the 2Oth instant
are all that have been obtained, although there were probably
about twenty others captured : Orville R. Brooks, Company B ;
Geo. H. Dow and Chas. H. Emerson, Company D ; Mason P.
Burke, Company E.

On the 2ist of February, two members of Company F,
Jonathan L. Squires and John B. Thomas, were taken prisoners
while guarding a wagon train.

But in spite of frequent skirmishes along the line of the
Winchester and Harper's Ferry Railroad, an expedition up
the Valley to Newtown under Maj. Gen. W. S. Hancock, and
continuous exposure to storms and -cold, the winter was a rather
uneventful one for old campaigners, and the spring found them
in good condition.

During the first months of the year, that memorable year
which closed the war, several important promotions were made.
On the 2 ist of January, Col. Thomas was mustered out of the
service, his time of original muster having expired. He returned
to Vermont and secured recruits enough for the regiment to
enable Lieut Col. John B. Mead to be promoted to the colonelcy
on the 4th of March. Maj. A. B. Franklin was made lieuten
ant colonel on the same day, and Capt. H. M. Pollard was
made major April 6th.

A few days before his three years of service expired, Col.
Thomas addressed to the assistant adjutant general a request
to be mustered out and receive transportation to Vermont.
As this document passed through the regular channels, the fol
lowing indorsements of officers who examined it were made
upon it :
16

242 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Respectfully forwarded with great regret, as Col. Thomas is a most
valuable officer to the service, and his place cannot be easily filled.

J. W. MCMILLAN, B. G. C.

The term of service of this officer will expire Jan. 21, 1865, according to
his statement. He has served three years in one grade, under his original
muster, and therefore can not continue in service except he be recommis-
sioned and remustered. He can not remuster on his present commission,
as his regiment has not the proper veteran organization. He should be
mustered out in the field Jan. 21, 1865, on account of expiration of term of
service.

JAMES F. FITTS,

Captain and C. M. i9th A. C.

. . . The general commanding regrets exceedingly to lose the services
of Col. Thomas, whom he has twice recommended to be brevetted for gal
lantry and meritorious services; and he yet entertains the hope that Col.
Thomas will receive the promotion that he merits, and return to the corps.
By order of

BREV. MAJ. GEX. EMORY,

DUNCAN S. WALKER, A. A. G.

The following promotions in the regiment were made early
in the year 1865: Feb. 23d, Sec. Lieut. Geo. G. Hutchins,
Company E, first lieutenant ; Sergt. Francis E. Warren, Com
pany I, first lieutenant, and April i8th to captain ; Sergt.
Newell H. Hibbard, Company E, second lieutenant ; Sergt.
George W. Hill, Company K, second lieutenant ; March
3d, First Lieut. Joseph N. Dunton, Company H, captain of
Company C ; Hospital Steward Wm. H. Haskins, captain
Company D, vice Capt. A. E. Getchell, whose term had
expired ; Lieut. James 'W. Smith, Company K, captain ; Lieut.
Waitstill R^ Pettie, Company H, first lieutenant ; Sergt. Mar
tin L. Bruce, Company G, first lieutenant ; Sergt. Horace P.
Emerson, Company D, second lieutenant ; Sergt. Hymenius
A. Davis, Company H, second lieutenant ; Abner W. Flint,
Company G, mustered as second lieutenant. April 6th, Sergt.
Curtis W. Lynn, Company B, second lieutenant. April i8th,
Sergt. Henry W. Downs, Company I, second lieutenant.

Rev. Thomas Bayne, of Irasburg, Vt., was commissioned chap
lain, Feb. 23d.

LINCOLN'S ASSASSINATION. 24$

When President Lincoln was shot, on the evening of April
I4th, a line of infantry was posted around the city of Wash
ington to prevent the escape of the assassin, and the Eighth
Vermont were hurried thither and stationed near Seventh
street, the men being placed about five feet apart. They
remained there throughout that exciting night, and returned to
camp when it was found that Booth had escaped beyond the
city limits, and had been captured.

Seven days later, the regiment bade adieu to their camp at
Summit Point, and proceeded to Fort Stevens in the northern
suburbs of Washington, where they did picket duty. Later
they formed part of the reserve stationed near the city arsenal,
and then were in camp at Monson Hill, until they were trans
ferred to the Sixth Corps. On reaching Washington the regi
ment was received by Gov. J. Gregory Smith, who was waiting
for them and reviewed the lines.

Soon the first division of the Nineteenth Corps, which
included the Eighth Vermont, was ordered to Savannah. Their
number had just been augmented by the arrival of about four
hundred fresh recruits from Vermont, who had enlisted through
the influence of Gen. Thomas, in order that the regiment might
contain men enough to ensure the commission of Officer
Mead to the colonelcy. Considering the condition of the men
it seemed to Gov. Smith, Col. Holbrook, the state commissioner,
and the officers of the regiment, unwise at that season to send
them to a sickly southern climate, when there did not appear to
be any pressing need of their services there. Accordingly,
their case was laid before the secretary of war, who was asked
to transfer them to the Sixth Corps, which was to remain in the
vicinity of Washington. But no answer came from Mr. Stan-
ton, and on the first day of June the men were ordered on board
a steamer at Alexandria, which was to sail early the next
morning. The poor fellows felt heart-sick as they crept into
their berths late that night, while Col. Mead with several of
his staff remained on deck talking about the matter until after
midnight. They had abandoned all hope of getting a counter
manding order in season, when Col. Holbrook came aboard

244 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

bearing an official paper which read : " Col. Mead will take his
regiment and report as soon as convenient to Gen. Wright, of
the Sixth Corps." «

Rejoiced at their changed destination, the Vermont boys
went ashore at two o'clock in the morning, and encamped in a
clover field near by, where they passed one of the pleasantest
weeks of the entire campaign. They drew a supply of new
clothing and other things necessary to their comfort and re
spectable appearance, and engaged in careful daily drills, pre
paratory to the reviews in which they expected soon to take
part. At the end of the week they reported to Gen. Wright
as ordered.

The grand review of the Sixth Corps, in Washington was
ordered for the 8th instant, and Col. Mead's command made so
fine a display on parade, that the National Intelligencer, in its
report of the affair, paid them the following compliment : " Next
came the Eighth Vermont, a veteran regiment four years in
service, commanded by Col. John B. Mead. This regiment was
especially noticed for its excellent marching, and the perfect
alignment of its bayonets ; and every soldier bore in his cap a
sprig of cedar, the emblem of his state. "

On this and other similar public occasions the regimental
band was brought into prominence, and was often compli
mented as being one of the best in the Nineteenth Corps.
The leader was Auguste Heanel, a native German, who
enlisted in New Orleans, and was an accomplished musician.
His assistant was Anselm Martin, who was also enlisted in
that city. When a serenade was desired at headquarters, the
Eighth Vermont band was always in demand.

At this point, the story may properly pause to pay a tribute
to Col. John B. Mead, who entered the service as second lieu
tenant of Company G. In early life he labored on a farm, and
enjoyed such educational advantages only as were afforded by
the common schools of Vermont. But having a liking for study,
he pursued the higher branches after leaving school, and for
several years was employed in teaching. He had a command-

COL. JOHN B. MEAD.

HOME AGAIN. 245

ing presence and was a ready speaker, and at the public meet
ings held to encourage enlistments, he gave effective addresses,
and exerted a strong influence in raising his own company.

Col. Mead received a greater number of promotions than any
other member of the regiment, being commissioned successively
as second lieutenant, first lieutenant, captain, major, and lieu
tenant colonel. Finally Col. Thomas retired from the regiment,
and he was made colonel in his stead, March 4th, 1865, holding
the position until the regiment was mustered out of service.
He was taken prisoner at Bayou des Allemands, and at Cedar
Creek he led the regiment in the famous advance across the
pike in the morning, but was wounded and obliged to retire
from the field. He took great pride in the good appearance of
his troops, and enforced rigid discipline, believing it the cardinal
virtue of a soldier to render strict obedience to military law.

MUSTERED OUT.

THERE is no need to recall to the minds of veterans the sig
nal victories and other marked events that combined to bring
to a close, in the spring of 1865, the great conflict of arms be
tween the North and the South. The power of the Confederacy
permanently crushed, the presence of the great Union armies
was no longer needed in the seceded states, and, by order of the
commander in chief, all the troops that could be brought
together for the purpose were to parade in one grand review
before the assembled dignitaries at the capital, preparatory to
returning home. The day set for this display was the 23d of
May, and the Eighth Vermont participated \vith credit to them
selves and their officers in command.

On the 28th day of June, the regiment was mustered out of
service with veteran honors, and ordered to Burlington, Vt.,
where, after receiving pay, the members quietly disbanded and
returned to their homes on the loth of July, 1865. Who
returned? The Eighth Regiment, we say. But do we mean
that thousand men who left Camp Holbrook on the 4th of
March, 1862, for the front ?

246 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

" Ah me ! not all ! some come not with the rest,
Who went forth brave and bright as any here !

* * * *

In these brave ranks I only see the gaps,
Thinking of clear ones whom the dumb turf wraps,
Dark to the triumph which they died to gain."

Ah, sad in the hour of victory and national rejoicing is the
dirge for those who wqnt but come not ! Of the hundreds who
started from that winter camp for the southern battlefields,
hardly as many scores came back to answer to their names at
roll-call. After the fever of the fight, the pain of fatal wounds,
the wasting course of disease, or the slow torture of the enemy's
prisons, they sleep well, let us hope, in the land they died to
redeem. The brave companies returned mere fragments and
broken lines, bringing precious memories of the comrades
fallen and left behind.

Or shall we rather say they all came back and the ranks
were full when the regiment disbanded? Is it too much to
affirm that those who had fallen on the field filled that occasion
with a presence even more real than that of the few men who
returned unhurt ? How could they linger behind in that hour
of martial triumph ? Forth from the impalpable air they
marched with quick, glad step, in shining raiment neither blue
nor gray, joy in their faces, and songs of victory upon their
lips. Did you not see them, O toil-worn comrade, as they moved
to your side, aligned, and filled the wide gaps in your ranks ?
Did not their presence inspire you in that hour of rushing
memories ? If in your thought that morning the heroes in
your ranks were still alive, then could you go home rejoicing,
and singing :

" Lift the heart and lift the head !

Lofty be its mood and grave ;

Not without a martial ring,

Not without a prouder tread,

And a peal of exultation."

It is a pleasure to add to this record a testimonial to the
deeds and merit of several officers who did not leave the ranks
until the regiment disbanded.

MEN OF RECORD. 247

The Eighth Vermont had no braver officer than Capt. Moses
McFarland, of Company A, who, with his plucky command,
led the gallant charge of the rifle-pits in the battle of the
Cotton. When the company organized he was elected first
lieutenant, and upon the promotion of Capt. Grout succeeded
him. He was an officer who always did his duty. After Maj.
Mead was wounded in the morning fight at Cedar Creek,
McFarland took command of the regiment, and for his services
on that bloody field was especially complimented by the brigade
commander, Col. Thomas. He remained 'in the army until
the close of the war, and carried into private life a worthy
soldier's record.

Maj. H. M. Pollard went South as a war correspondent,
accompanied Weitzel's brigade on its early campaigns, and was
well known in the regiment. A vacancy occurring in Company
I, he was commissioned as first lieutenant. He afterwards was
promoted to be captain and major. He served for a time as
provost marshal on the brigade staff in the Shenandoah Valley.
Major Pollard was a brave and efficient officer, whose promo
tion was well deserved.

Quartermaster Edward Dewey entered the Eighth Vermont
January, 1864. He was appointed from civil life, but quickly
adapted himself to the requirements of his position. Joining the
regiment in Louisiana he accompanied it to Virginia, and par
ticipated in the battles of Opequon and Cedar Creek. On
February nth, 1865, he was promoted to be captain and assist
ant quartermaster in the staff department of United States
volunteers.

Lieut. Col. Alvin B. Franklin entered the service as first
lieutenant of Company H, and was promoted to the rank of
captain, then major, and the lieutenant colonelcy. He was a
brave and capable officer, and took part in every battle in which
his regiment engaged. He was severely wounded at Raceland,
and again at Cedar Creek ; and for gallant conduct at the latter

248 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

place Col. Thomas recommended that he be made brevet
major. ••

Capt. Wm. H. Smith, of Company F, entered the service as
a private, was appointed sergeant of Company H, afterwards
orderly sergeant, second lieutenant, then promoted to be first
lieutenant of Company F, and later captain. He ably com
manded the skirmish line at Winchester, and was severely
wounded at Cedar Creek.

Surgeon H. H. Gillett entered the service with the regiment
and continued till it was mustered out. Col. Thomas, who had
known him long in civil life, asked him to accept a professional
position upon his staff. The governor therefore commisioned
him as assistant surgeon December loth, 1861. He reported
promptly at Brattleboro, and his skill was early called into
requisition to attend the numerous sick in that winter camp.
His first duty as a surgeon was performed when he cared for
the wounded from the fight at Raceland, where he was ably
assisted by Hospital Steward Samuel H. Currier. In June,
1862, upon the resignation of Dr. Gale, he was promoted to be
surgeon of the regiment. He was with the Eighth on all the
campaigns up the Teche, and was in charge of the brigade hos
pital during the siege of Port Hudson. He became a veteran
surgeon with his regiment, and served in the campaign of 1864,
in the Shenandoah Valley. At different times he served on
the brigade and division staff.

Assistant Surgeon O. E. Ross was commissioned September
i ;th, 1863. He brought into the service an excellent reputation
as a physician, and quickly won the confidence and regard of
the regiment. Full of a genuine humor, he dispensed it liberally
to all. While in the Shenandoah Valley, he was for a time
medical director of the brigade. He remained with the regi
ment until the close of the war, and was mustered out June 28th,
1865.

• W.

THE "PARTING STONE." 249

IN RETROSPECT.

THE duty of a historian strictly ends where the thread of his
narrative breaks off. But it is not easy to drop the comrades
of a four-years' service as soon as the ink on their muster-out
rolls is dry. A single backward look may be pardoned ere the
veterans reach the "parting stone" that forks their different
roads in civil life. The unthinking world, and even waiting
families, can forgive the delay, while the toil-worn campaigners
gather around their beloved officers, and through tears and
smiles survey the eventful years since they donned the soldier's
garb and went to war.

The struggle in which the regiment took an active part
marked a national epoch not less important than that which
secured its independence, a period of trial and development
unprecedented in any country under the sun. To every soldier
who entered the conflict in a spirit of true loyalty it was a
training school of the broadest type. While bearing arms in
vindication of the terrible authority of national law, what vast
themes of liberty and slavery, love and hate, intelligence and
ignorance, must have occupied his thoughts. How grandly the
gigantic problem worked itself out, under the guidance of a
power that used the wisdom of statesmen and generals as they
manoeuvred the troops in their commands. Little as the sol
dier or any one else was able to realize at the time what a
mighty social and political revolution was in progress, the
retrospect must have convinced him that the close of the war
was the dawn of a new life, when he could say :

" I awake to the higher aims
Of a land that has lost for a little her lust of gold,
And love of a peace that was full of wrongs and shames,
Horrible, hateful, monstrous, not to be told.
*****
Though many a light shall darken, and many shall weep
For those that are crushed in the clash of jarring claims,
Yet God's just wrath shall be wreak'd on great liar,
And many a darkness into the light shall leap,

250 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

And shine in the sudden making of splendid names ;

And noble thought be freer under the sun,

And the heart of a people beat with one desire.

******

Let it flame or fade, and the war roll down like a wind,

We have proved we have hearts in a cause, we are noble still ;

And myself have awakened, as it seems, to the better mind;

It is better to fight for the good, then to rail at the ill.

I have felt with my native land, I am one with my kind,

1 embrace the purpose of God, and the doom assign'd."

Or, full of deep and fervid patriotism, heated and welded at
the forge of carnage, he might adopt the noble sentiment of
Lowell, and say of his country :

" What were our lives without thee ?

What all our lives to save thee ?

We reck not what we gave thee,

We will not dare to doubt thee ;

But ask whatever else, and we will dare."

The particular school of military experience in which the
members of the Eighth Vermont learned the great lesson of
loyalty was peculiar. It flourished in different climes, it abode
in tents, was peripatetic like that of Aristotle, rough and
exacting in discipline. It began in the special legislation of a
state ; the classes were formed by enlistment ; it was a school
of theories, but the instruction given was chiefly in practical
experiments. There was no end of the drill under commis
sioned tutors ; but the grand exhibitions were held in Louisiana
and the Shenandoah Valley. Were not May I2th, June 22d,
and September 4th, 1862; January I4th and I5th, April I2th
and 1 3th, May 2/th, June I4th, and July Qth, 1863 ; September
1 9th and 22d, and October iQth, 1864, public days long to be
remembered? And what of those great lessons learned at New
Orleans, Algiers, and in the Teche country, during forty-four
days before Port Hudson, and the fall term in the Valley?
Could men serve month after month under such masters as
Butler, Banks, Grover, Weitzel, Emory, Sheridan, Dwight,
Thomas, and leave the school uneducated ?

REVIEW OF THE SERVICE. 25 1

Nor could it have escaped the notice of the veterans how
nicely their study and drill had been graded, beginning with
the simplest steps and rising to grander and more difficult
achievements. They were scarcely fit to make an Opequon
bayonet charge when they first started up the Opelousas Rail
road, though their courage was equal to it ; nor would they
have checked Early's great army long enough to give their
comrades " one golden hour," the day after their entry into
New Orleans. Their deeds of heroism were in an ascending
scale.

Another noteworthy fact in the career of the Eighth
Vermont was the length of its term of service in the field.
The veterans enlisted for the war. Brig. Gen. van Patten
accented this merit of the regiment when he said: "The
history of the Eighth Vermont begins with the war and
terminates at its conclusion. Early in the struggle it went
to the field and remained at the front with its face to the
foe until the bloody drama was over. The Gulf of Mexico, the
Atchafalaya, the Mississippi, and the Shenandoah, witnessed its
struggles and its triumphs. It went home with a dozen battles
on its banner. It was reputed one of the best regiments in the
Ninteenth Corps. The state of Vermont and the whole coun
try should be proud of its history. Its officers should be num
bered with the famous and renowned. Its whole muster roll
should be written indelibly upon marble and brass."

The regiment had for contemplation on returning to the
state of Vermont, a positive record of deeds and endurance
that did not need the help of comparison to heighten its lustre.
They could safely rest on their laurels without being envious of
the achievements of any. other troops. Cowards seek to mend
their own shortcomings by contrast with some that are worse.
Gen. Thomas and his brave command could afford to challenge
the verdict of the world on their accomplishment of the work
they were sent into the field to do. They could claim the right
to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," because they
had done something to defend that right for others, and earn it
for themselves.

XII.

THE EIGHTH VERMONT IN CIVIL LIFE.

IT was the glory of our country that, when its vast army of
volunteer soldiers was disbanded, in 1865, they quietly returned
to private life and assumed the duties of peaceful citizenship.
Had the same thing happened in one of the older civilizations
of Europe, that country would have been overrun by a lawless
element, dangerous to society and difficult to control. Broadly
speaking, the more fortunate experience of the United States
was due to the greater measure of intelligence among its sol
diers. Their patriotism was thoughtful, their loyalty reasonable,
and camp life did not debauch them.

Nations and commanders well understand that the best sol
dier is not the ignorant, hairbrained man, boastful of his prow
ess, and glorying in brute force and petty broils ; but rather
the educated man, who makes a real sacrifice to enter the army,
and, knowing its peril, braves the dangers of war impelled by a
sense of patriotic duty. ,The most effective guns have a thought
behind them. He serves his country who takes up arms to
save her, not he who enlists to gratify ambition or get a tempt
ing bounty.

At the ballot box one voter counts as much as another, but
in the army the quality of the man tells. It was proved over
and over again during the war of the Rebellion, that the best
regiments were those that represented the most brains and
moral strength. The educated man may not excel in natural
fearlessness or bravery ; but he feels what the ignorant man

OUR COLONEL. 253

often lacks — a sense of moral responsibility which holds him
to his duty and his post, even when he knows the chances are
he will be killed.

The Eighth Vermont Regiment was largely composed of in
telligent, thoughtful, responsible men, who knew what they
were doing when they enlisted, and were actuated by a sense
of duty to enter a service of hardship and peril. This was the
secret of their prominence on every battlefield where they
fought, this the quality in them that called forth the tributes
of commendation from superior officers that brighten the
pages of this book. But the sterling qualities that go to the
making of a good soldier are the same that win confidence and
success for the citizen. It is no matter of surprise, therefore,
that when those men resumed the occupations of peace, after
their military service was ended, they marched easily and
naturally to the front, and won distinction in their chosen fields
of activity in civil life. Knowing that a large number of his
veteran comrades in arms have been eminently successful in
the learned professions, in business, and in political life, it is
with peculiar pleasure that the writer closes these simple annals
with a chapter of personal sketches. And he feels confident
that it will be as acceptable as it is appropriate, to head the
list with a brief biography of their beloved and honored leader,

GENERAL THOMAS.

STEPHEN THOMAS needs no introduction to those who served
with him in the army, or have read the preceding pages of this
history. But since to know him is to respect and admire him,
and because it is natural to wish to learn the personal history
of one whom we admire, he has consented to the publication
of those important facts which connect boyhood with manhood,
the civilian with the soldier, the private citizen with the man
of public affairs.

It helps to account for the sterling bravery and rugged
integrity of Gen. Thomas's character to know that he was

254 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

descended from good Welsh stock, on the paternal side. These
qualities were a heritage from the mailed knights of that
glorious Arthurian age, who were

" sworn to vows

Of utter hardihood, utter gentleness,
And, loving, utter faithfulness in love,
And uttermost obedience to the king."

His grandfather, Joseph Thomas, was born in New Hamp
shire, and was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary army. His
father, John Thomas, was born in Amherst, N. H., and died on
the field of battle in the war of 1812. His mother, Rebecca
Batchellor, a native of Brookfield, Mass., belonged to a good old
family of that town, whose ancestors immigrated to this
country in 1630. Stephen, their third child, was born in Bethel,
Vt., Dec. 6th, 1809. He had three brothers and two sisters,
neither of whom is living.

The general's early life was what the English would call
" very American." The schoolmaster had little to do with his
corporal or his intellectual development. He attended for a
while such a common school as the town of Thetford afforded in
those days, but at eighteen years of age was apprenticed to a
woollen manufacturer, learned the trade, and followed it for
several years in the towns of Thetford, Stafford, and Fairlee.
Then he went to Hartland and started a factory of his own,
which was soon destroyed by fire, and he resumed work in
Thetford, and finally in West Fairlee.

In 1830 Gen. Thomas /married Miss Ann Peabody, of Read
ing, and a son and a daughter were born to them, both of
whom are grown up. The former has settled in Wisconsin, and
the latter, having lost her husband and her mother, lives with
her father.

Very early in life Gen. Thomas evinced a decided capacity
and taste for public affairs, and soon became a recognized
leader in local politics. He cast in his lot with the Democratic
party, and worked conscientiously for its interests in whatever
honorable avenue was open to him. At the age of twenty-six,

A BUSY LIFE. 255

while living in West Fairlee, he was appointed sheriff of
Orange county. That office gave him an opportunity to become
familiar with the business of the courts, and for several years he
gave attention to the prosecution of Revolutionary pension and
other claims. For eight years he was connected with the pro
bate court of his county, first as register of probate, then as
judge. .'.^-

The ability for leadership displayed by Gen. Thomas soon
gave him a wide reputation in political circles, and, finding him
both judicious and trustworthy, the people put him forward
to advocate their interests. He represented them in the
General Assembly in 1838, 1839, l845> l846, 1860, and 1861,
and was a state senator in 1848 and 1849. ^n 1860 and 1861
he was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, and
secured a large vote, but his party failed to elect. He was also
chosen to fill the responsible position of delegate from his state
to the National Democratic Convention, during several presi
dential years. In 1848 he was an alternate, and in 1852, 1856,
and 1860, a delegate.

It was in those national conventions that Thomas became
intimately acquainted with the southern prejudice and animus,
and acquired that seer's vision which enabled him to read the
horoscope of the country's future in advance of most of his
contemporaries. Convinced early in 1860 that a great sectional
struggle over the radical differences between North and South
was inevitable, the prospect so troubled him that for months
he could not banish it from his thoughts, and scarcely from his
dreams. So deeply had the gravity of the national situation
impressed itself on his mind, that it brought to him a sense of
relief when the firing of the first gun at Fort Sumter precipi
tated the war and decided the course of the government. Then
the deep convictions which had been long repressed, found
room for action, and became the motive power which invested
all that he did and said with superlative power.

Having honestly and earnestly taken his stand on the burn
ing questions of the hour, Gen. Thomas could no longer remain
a universal favorite. His radical, progressive policy would

256 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

not ally itself with Democratic conservatism, and a faction of
those who had been his firm political supporters came to repudi
ate and hate him. The attitude of his party and the education
of the army were the means of conversion in his case, as in
that of many other officers who entered the struggle as stanch
Democrats and came out Republicans. In 1864 he voted the
Republican ticket, but made up his mind to dp so silently, and
take no active part in political affairs. But the leaders who had
so long counted on him could not overlook the desertion of their
platform, and, after remonstrating with him in vain, ended in
persecuting him, until he was compelled to take up the issue
publicly in defence of his course. "Thomas," they said, when
he returned from the war, "Thomas, you've changed; we
haven't." "Fools never do," was his witty reply.

But in changing party affiliations Gen. Thomas did not for
sake his political principles, or his rugged honesty of purpose.
He carried into the Republican ranks the same inflexible pur
pose to do what was for the common good that had actuated his
conduct in earlier years, and the party recognized and honored
him for it. In 1867 and 1868 he served them and the state
most acceptably as lieutenant governor, and might have been
re-elected for the third term had he not positively refused the
use of his name. "He would not be a candidate for governor
when urged thereto by his friends ; but in other ways he per
formed a vast amount of useful public service. For eight years,
beginning with 1870, he was United States pension agent, and
in that capacity helped to reform many abuses and impositions
in the modes of collecting such claims, by which petty lawyers
extorted unreasonable fees at the expense of poor widows and
orphans. He was state delegate to the soldiers' convention
that nominated Gen. Grant to the presidency ; he has been
commander of the Grand Army of his state, president of the
Officers' Reunion Society, and president of the State Soldiers'
Reunion.

For several years Gen. Thomas has resided at Montpelier,
and has found time to interest himself in agriculture, and mean
while has not refused the demands of public service whenever

IN CIVIL LIFE. 257

the voice of duty called, or there was good to be accomplished.
At the age of seventy-six he enjoys excellent health, and is
remarkably vigorous. He takes an active interest in the
affairs of his town and the country, and makes his influence
widely felt in the political movements that engage the attention
of the state.

The same elements of character which won the respect and
confidence of the Eighth Regiment in their colonel, and en
deared him to them as a father, — the sturdy rectitude that
bound him to the right, and kept him safe from the seductions
of evil policy, — have given Gen. Thomas an assured place in the
hearts of his fellow-citizens, who delight to show their gratitude
for his distinguished services by acts of public honor and per
sonal kindness.

It would be hollow eulogy of the subject of this sketch to
insist on making him a symmetrical character ; the sphere of
human activity seldom demands a perfectly balanced man.
But it is safe to say that his great strength and capacity for
usefulness lay in a clear apprehension of the right thing to do, and
the proper time to do it ; blindness to the suggestions of wrong ;
courage to stand by his convictions, and postpone the less to the
greater good ; a deep moral sense of equity and personal respon
sibility ; and a heart loyal to duty, his country, and his God.

Patriotic Vermont has had a long list of civil officers who
served in the Union army. Among those who have filled the
executive chair with honor, were Washburn, Proctor, Farnham,
Barstow, and Pingree.

Since his retirement from the army, Major John L. Barstow
has filled many positions, and always to his credit. He had
hardly reached his home after leaving Louisiana, before he
was called into the state service by the offer of a responsible
position in the recruiting service by Adj. Gen. Washburn,
which he was obliged to decline on account of shattered health.
In the following September, he was elected a member of the
legislature, and it was during the session in which he served
that St. Albans was attacked by Confederate raiders from Can-
17

258 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

ada. At the request of Gen. Washburn, he went to the scene
of action by the first train, and the next day was sent into
Canada on a special mission, by Major Austine, United States
military commandant of the state. This* famous raid created
such an excitement that a law was soon passed, establishing three
brigades of militia, of four regiments each, and Major Barstow
was elected by the legislature as one of the brigade com
manders.

Under this commission, he .was ordered by Gov. Smith to
take command of the provincial forces on the northwestern
frontier, where he remained on duty until relieved by Gen.
Stannard, in January, 1865. In September of that year he
was again elected to the legislature by the unanimous vote of
his town, and in the years 1866 and 1867 he was state senator
from Chittenden county. In 1870 he was appointed U. S.
pension agent at Burlington, which office he held for nearly
eight years, discharging its duties in such a manner as to call
from Hon. Carl Schurz, then secretary of the interior, an auto
graph letter of thanks. In 1879 Gov. Proctor appointed him
state commissioner for the centennial celebration of the sur
render of Cornwallis at Yorktown, and he rendered effective
service in securing government aid for the undertaking, and for
the monument, and in arranging plans for the celebration.

In 1880 he was elected lieutenant governor of the state, for
the biennial term, and was chosen by the legislature one of the
trustees of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural
College, which position he held in 1882 and 1883, by virtue of
his office as governor, to which he had been elected in 1882.
The Ely riots occurred during his term of office, and his course
in requiring that justice should precede force, and that the
riotous miners should be paid their honest dues, attracted much
favorable comment throughout the country.

Pending the nomination of his successor, in 1884, a major
ity of the Republican newspapers in the state advocated his
renomination, but he declined to become a candidate. The
quality of his service as governor, judged by the press, is
shown by an extract from the Rutland Herald of October,

IN CIVIL LIFE. 259

1884, then edited by the well-known critic, Lucius Bigelow. In
commenting upon Gov. Barstow's final message, he said :

" He has more than fulfilled the flattering promises made for him by his
friends when he was nominated. He has been as careful, independent,
able, and efficient a governor as we have had in Vermont during the last
twenty years, a period which includes executives of the quality of Dilling-
ham, Peck, and Proctor."

The Brattleboro Reformer, of same date, one of the leading
opposition papers, said :

" This message, like Gov. Barstow's inaugural, also will take rank among
the best and most sensible state papers ever presented in Vermont."

Col. John B. Mead is well known in Vermont. He has been
an ' active advocate of the temperance movement, and widely
interested in agriculture and in public schools. He has been
representative to the legislature, senator from Orange county,
state superintendent of agriculture, and at the International
Exhibition at New Orleans, in 1885, he was commissioner for
Vermont, and at the Exposition of 1886 did the same service
for New England. Col. Mead is a fluent public speaker, and

urges his opinions with enthusiasm and eloquence.

•

Lieut. Col. A. B. Franklin has been a member of both
branches of the legislature of Vermont, and served for several
years as master of the state grange, and president of Wind-
ham County Agricultural Society.

Lieut. Col. Charles Dillingham has resided in the South since
he left the army. For several yeais he was engaged in mer
cantile business. He served a term as United States naval
officer at New Orleans. He is at present receiver of the
Houston and Texas Railroad Company.

Capt. W. W. Lynde served with distinction in the legisla
ture of Vermont for a number of years, and was prominent both
in the House and the Senate. He was elected by the General
Assembly quartermaster general of the state, and held the
position for several years.

260 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Major H. M. Pollard settled in Missouri after he retired
from the army, and very soon became a leading lawyer in the
courts. He represented Missouri one term in congress, and
then took up his residence in St. Louis.

Capt. Henry E. Foster and Capt. F. D. Butterfield were
custom house officers at Derby Line for several years.

Commissary Sergeant William H. Gilmore has served as
representative to the legislature of Vermont, and was two
years a state senator. For several years he was president of
the Orange County Agricultural Society.

Quartermaster Fred E. Smith has been very successful as a
business man. He is prominent in the Grand Army of the
Republic of Vermont, and was a delegate to the convention in
Chicago when Gen. Grant was first nominated for president.
For a number of years he has been secretary of the Reunion
Society of Vermont Officers. He is vice-president of the Ver
mont Mutual Fire Insurance Company, and a director of the First
National Bank of Montpelier. He is also concerned officially
in several manufacturing interests. .He has been active in the
promotion of education, is a trustee of Norwich University,
and is president of the Public Library Association of Montpelier.

Lieut. J. Elliott Smith has been for years superintendent
of the fire alarm telegraph of New York City. He is recog
nized as one of the most prominent electricians in the country.

Cyrus U. Lathrop , has been a successful farmer, and has
served as assistant judge of the Orange county court.

Capt. L. M. Hutchinson was a member of the Vermont
legislature in 1884 and 1885, and at present is railroad commis
sioner for Edmonds county, Dakota Territory.

Rufus E. Smith was deputy sheriff of Santa Barbara county,
California, for five years.

Drum Major G. H. Flagg, after being mustered out of the

IN CIVIL LIFE. 26l

regiment, remained in New Orleans, and was a member of the
Louisiana legislature during the reconstruction period.

Capt. Geo. O. Ford, Lieut. Wheaton Livingston, and Major
Grout, have been largely interested in agriculture.

Capt. H. E. Perkins was a resident of New York state for
some years, and on his return to Vermont was elected captain
of the Barlow Greys at St. Albans, a position he now holds.
It is one of the best of the Vermont militia companies.

Lieut. Col. Henry F. Button controls large interests in
Florida, and is at the head of a flourishing banking house.

Lieut. James Welch has been a successful farmer and manu
facturer. ,

Quartermaster Edward Dewey has long been connected with
the National Life Insurance Company, and is at present vice-
president of the company.

Capt. S. E. Howard is secretary of a cattle company in
Wyoming Territory.

Surgeon Geo. F. Gale is eminent in his profession in Vermont,
and a prominent citizen of the state.

Chas. A. Dean is the manager of the largest Manila
paper and paper bag manufacturing company in the United
States.

Herbert E. Hill has been successful in the cotton business
and cotton manufacturing, which has brought with it a large
and pleasant acquaintance through the South. He has been
vice commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.
While secretary of the Middlesex Club, of Boston, he secured a
visit of one week from Gen. Grant, as guest of the club. He
was selected by the electoral college as special messenger to
carry to Washington the Massachusetts vote for Garfield and
Arthur.

262 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Lieut. H. W. Downs has been successful as a silk manufac
turer.

Capt. W. H. Smith has a well-established law practice in
Chicago.

Lieut. W. H. H. Holton served in the legislature of Vermont,
and for several years has been inspector of customs in New
York.

B. F. Parkhurst, after remaining a few years in Vermont,
removed to Worcester, Mass., and entered the service of the
state. In his private affairs he has been very prosperous.

Surgeon H. H. Gillett, and Assistant Surgeon S. H. Currier,
have both served in the legislature of Vermont. Both are suc
cessful practitioners.

Lieut. Lewis Childs has held the position of president of the
Gold Room, in Boston.

Capt. S. H. Shattuck has been largely interested in educa
tional matters, and was professor in Norwich University for
several years.

D. D. Fairbanks, Levi H. Parker, Ethan P. Shores, William
H. Silsby, Martin J. Pond, and Granger C. Spencer, of Com
pany K, have been members of the legislature of Vermont.

There were four brothers in the regiment by the name of
Shontell, all six-footers, and brave soldiers. One of them died
of disease while in the service ; William is chief of police in the
city of Brainard, Minn., and Xenophon Udall is a clergyman
in Loyalton, Dak.

Lieut. M. L. Hodgkins is in the United States Land Office in
Florida.

B. F. Bowman was the projector of the Vermont colony at
Loyalton, Dak.

A WAR GOVERNOR. 263

Lieut. Geo. E. Selleck is one of the most prominent and active
citizens of Brattleboro, Vt.

Wm. B. Stickney is well known in educational circles, and
served as superintendent of colored schools in the city of New
Orleans.

Sergt. O. H. Sprague is a partner in a leading wholesale
house in Chicago.

Capt. Moses McFarland has been prominent in the local
affairs of his town.

Asst. Surgeon O. E. Ross has made a fine reputation at his
home in Maine.

Hospital Steward C. M. Ferrin controls a large practice as
physician, and is held in high esteem by all the old comrades
as secretary of the Eighth Vermont Society.

Fred E. Smith served on Gov. Fairbahks's staff as colonel
and A. D. C. ; George N. Carpenter served on Gov. Dilling-
ham's staff as colonel and A. D. C., and is a trustee of Norwich
University ; William H. Gilmore served on Gov. Barstow's staff
as colonel and A. D. C. ; Herbert E. Hill served on Gov. Tal-
bot's staff, in Massachusetts, as colonel and A. A. G.

GOVERNOR HOLBROOK.

ALTHOUGH he did not belong to the Eighth regiment, Hon.
Frederick Holbrook, the war governor of the state, had much
to do with the camp at Brattleboro, which was called after his
name, and deserves fitting mention in this book. All the
commissions of the original officers of the regiment bore his
signature, and, being a resident of Brattleboro, he took a deep
personal interest in its welfare.

Governor Holbrook's name was familiar to the people of
Vermont long before he was elected to fill the executive chair.

264 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

He had been active in developing the agricultural resources of
the state, and for many years was president of the State Agri
cultural Society. Being so well and favorably known, he had
the confidence and sympathy of the people when he became
governor during the trying days of 1862. A great responsi
bility at once devolved upon him, but he entered upon the
work with enthusiasm, and was prompt to co-operate with
President Lincoln by raising and sending troops to the front.

MILITARY HISTORY

OF

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS

The date of each commission immediately follows the name and rank.

Stephen Thomas. Colonel, Nov. 12, 1861 ; brigadier general,
United States volunteers, Feb. i, 1865 ; brevet major general, United
States volunteers; commanded a brigade most of the time while
colonel ; acted as military commander at Algiers, La., on the west
bank of the Mississippi ; served with distinction in the Shenandoah
Valley under Sheridan ; ordered a successful charge on his own re
sponsibility at the battle of Opequon ; in the morning fight at Cedar
Creek, with a single brigade he checked the advance of Early's army
on the pike.

John B. Mead. Second lieutenant Company G, Jan. 7, 1862 ; ist
lieutenant Company G, April 2, 1863 ; captain Company G, May 5,
1863; major, July 26, 1864; lieutenant colonel, Nov. 24, 1864;
colonel, March 4, 1865 ; taken prisoner at Bayou des Allemands, Sept.
4, 1862 ; wounded Oct. TQ, 1864, at the battle of Cedar Creek ;
mustered out June 28, 1865.

Edward M. Brown. Adjutant 5th Vermont Volunteers, Aug. 24,
1861 ; lieutenant colonel 8th Vermont, Jan. 9, 1862 ; resigned Dec.
23, 1862 ; by order of Gen. Butler was detailed as editor of the Delta,
at New Orleans.

266 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Charles Dillingham. Captain Company D, 2d Vermont Volun
teers, May 22, 1861 ; major 8th Vermont Volunteers, Jan. 19, 1862 ;
lieutenant colonel, Dec. 24, 1862; resigned De^c. 12, 1863; com
manded his regiment during the siege of Port Hudson ; served on
military commission for several months in New Orleans.

Henry F. Dutton. Captain Company H, Jan. 17, 1862 ; major,
June 12, 1863 ; lieutenant colonel, Dec. 28, 1863 ; honorably dis
charged Nov. 1 6, 1864, for wounds received in action at Winchester,
Virginia, Sept. 19, 1864; commanded special detail of sharpshooters
at the battle of the Cotton ; honorably mentioned by Col. Thomas
in his report of the engagement ; commanded skirmishers at the
battle of Bisland ; in transmitting his commission as major, the
governor stated that Capt. Dutton was promoted for " distinguished
services at the battle of the Cotton."

Alvin B. Franklin. First lieutenant Company H, Jan. 17, 1862 •
wounded June 22, 1862 ; captain Company H, June 12, 1863 ; major,
Nov. 24, 1864; lieutenant colonel, March 4, 1865; mustered out June
28, 1865 ; complimented in Colonel Thomas's report to the adjutant
general of Vermont, for brave action at Cedar Creek, and recom
mended to be brevetted major ; inspector general on brigade staff.

Luman M. Grout Captain Company A, Nov. 13, 1861 ; major,
Dec. 24, 1862 ; resigned June n, 1863.

John L. BarstOW. Quartermaster sergeant; adjutant, Feb. 19,
1862; captain Company K, Mar. 21, 1863; major, Dec. 28, 1863;
mustered out June 22, 1864; honorably mentioned for his personal
services in the engagement of the Cotton ; served as assistant adjutant
general on the brigade staff during the siege of Port Hudson ; com
plimented in report of brigade commander for gallantry in the assault
on Port Hudson, June 14; in command of the recruits and those
who did not re-enlist, while the veterans were on furlough ; for a time
post commander at Thibodeaux, La.

Henry M. Pollard. First lieutenant Company I, July 12, 1863;
captain, Nov. 7, 1863 ; major, April 6, 1865 ; mustered out June
28, 1865 ; served as provost marshal on brigade staff.

Henry Carpenter. Private Company A, Oct. 23, 1 86 1 ; corporal,

MILITARY RECORD. 267

Feb. 18, 1862; sergeant; ist sergeant; sergeant major, Sept. 17,
1863; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist lieutenant Company F, Aug. 23,
1864; adjutant, Nov. 24, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865.

Fred E. Smith. Quartermaster, Nov. 23, 1861 ; honorably dis
charged Nov. 30, 1863 ; served as acting commissary of subsistence,
on the staff of Gen. Godfrey Weitzel, while he commanded brigade
and division in Louisiana.

Edward Dewey. Quartermaster, Jan. 12, 1864; captain and
assistant quartermaster U. S. volunteers, Feb. n, 1865.

James Welch. Private Company G, Nov. 20, 1861 ; sergeant
Feb. 18, 1862 • 2d lieutenant May 5, 1863 ; honorably discharged
as 2d lieutenant Feb. 17, 1865, for wounds received in action Oct.
19, 1864, at Cedar Creek; quartermaster, March 27, 1865 ; mustered
out June 28, 1865 ; commanded the skirmish line of second brigade,
first division, igth A. C., at battle of Cedar Creek,

Geo. F. Gale. Surgeon, Dec. 10, 1861 ; resigned June 24, 1862.

Herman H. Gillett. Assistant surgeon, Dec. 10, 1 86 1 ; surgeon
June 25, 1862 ; mustered out June 28, 1865 ; was detailed at different
times for staff duties, and for duty as director of General Hospital.

Samuel H. Currier. Hospital steward, Feb. 18, 1862 ; assistant
surgeon, June 25, 1862 ; resigned Oct. 20, 1862.

Cyrus H. Allen. Assistant surgeon, Oct. i, 1862 ; surgeon 5th
Vermont Volunteers, Oct. i, 1864.

Oliver E. ROSS. Assistant surgeon, Sept. 17, 1863 ; mustered out
June 28, 1865 ; served for a time on brigade staff.

J. Elliott Smith. Quartermaster sergeant ; lieutenant on Gen.
Butler's staff ; military superintendent of telegraph, department of the

Gulf.

Francis C. Williams. Chaplain, Dec. 20, 1861 ; mustered out
June 22, 1864.

Thomas Bayne. Chaplain, Feb. 23, 1865 ; mustered out June
28, 1865.

268 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

CAPTAINS.

Moses McFarland. First lieutenant Company A, Nov. 13, 1861 ;
captain Dec. 24, 1862 ; mustered out, June 28, 1865 '•> was honorably
mentioned for his services at the battle of the Cotton, and also for his
gallantry at Cedar Creek; part of the day commanded the regiment
at Cedar Creek.

Charles B. Child. Captain Company B, Dec. 19, 1861 ; resigned
Oct. 21, 1863; was provost marshal at Algiers, La., for several
months.

Frederick D. Blltterfield. Second lieutenant Company B, Dec.
19, 1861 ; ist lieutenant, June 15, 1863 ; captain, Nov. 7, 1863 ; re
signed July 22, 1864 ; was detailed as signal officer in May, 1862, and
served through the war in that branch of the service.

John Bisbee. Private Company B, Nov. 22, 1861 ; ist sergeant,
Feb. 18, 1862 ; wounded June 14, 1863; 2d lieutenant Company B,
July 15, 1863 > ist lieutenant, Nov. 7, 1863 ; captain, Aug. 21, 1864;
mustered out June 28, 1865.

Henry E. Foster. Captain Company C, Dec. 23, 1861 ; wounded
May 27, 1863 ; resigned Aug. 15, 1863 ; when the Opelousas Railroad
was opened, Capt. Foster became military superintendent.

George N. Carpenter. Private ; sergeant major, Feb. 18, 1862 ;
ist lieutenant Company C, June i, 1862 ; captain Company C, August
15, 1863 ; served as acting adjutant of the regiment, and aid-de-camp
on brigade staff ; discharged July 2, 1864, to accept appointment as
captain and commissary of subsistence U. S. volunteers ; the last year
of the war he served on the staff of Gen. R. A. Cameron, U. S.
volunteers.

S. E. Howard. Private Company H, Nov. 19, 1861 ; ist
sergeant, Feb. 18, 1862 ; 2cl lieutenant Company H, Jan. 12, 1863 ;
captain Company C, July 26, 1864; honorably discharged, Dec. 9,
1864, for wounds received in action at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19,
1864; served as acting quartermaster of the regiment, Jan. to Dec.,
1863; in charge of recruiting party sent to Vermont, Dec., 1863, to
March, 1864; acting adjutant during veteran furlough of regiment;

MILITARY RECORD, . 269

A. A. D. C. on brigade staff, and acting quartermaster of brigade ;
judge advocate of court martial held on steamer Cahawba, between
New York and New Orleans.

Joseph N. Dim ton. Private Company H, Nov. 23, 1861 ;
corporal, Feb. 18, 1862 ; sergeant ; ist sergeant, Nov. 26, 1863 ; re-en
listed Jan. 5, 1864; 2d lieutenant Company H, Feb. 20, 1864; ist
lieutenant Company H, Nov. 24, 1864; captain Company C, March
3, 1865 ; mustered out June 28, 1865.

CyrilS B. Leach. Capt. Company D, Dec. 28, 1861 ; mustered
out June 22, 1864.

Alfred E. Getchell. ist lieutenant Company D, Dec. 28, 1861 ;
captain, July 26, 1864 ; mustered out Feb. 26, 1865.

William H. Haskins. Private Company D, Nov. 21, 1861 ;
hospital steward, June 25, 1862; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; captain
Company D, March 3, 1865 ; mustered out Feb. 26, 1865.

Edward Hall. Capt. Company E, Jan. i, 1862 ; wounded June 14,
1863 ; died Oct. 28, 1864, of wounds received in action at Cedar
Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864; taken prisoner at Des Allemands, La.,
Sept. 4, 1862.

Lemuel M. Hutchinson. Private Company A, Oct. i, 1861 ;
ist sergeant, Feb. 18, 1862 ; 2d lieutenant Company A, July 23,
1862 ; ist lieutenant Company A, Dec. 24, 1862 ; captain Company
E, Nov. 24, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865; served as acting
adjutant of the regiment for a few months.

Hiram E. Perkins. Captain Company F, Jan. 3, 1862 ; dis
charged for promotion as major in U. S. colored troops, May 31, 1863.

Daniel S. Foster. ist lieutenant Company F, Jan. 3, 1862 ;
captain, April 9, 1863 ; mustered out June 22, 1864.

William H. Smith. Private Company H, Nov. 19, 1861 ;
sergeant, Feb. 18, 1862; ist sergeant, Jan. 13, 1863; ist lieutenant
Company F, October i, 1863 ; captain Company F, July 26,
1864; wounded, June 22, 1862, and Oct. 19, 1864; mustered out

2/0 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

June 28, 1865 ; commanded the skirmish line for his brigade at Win
chester, Sept. 19, 1864; on duty as acting post commissary at
New Haven, Conn.

Samuel G. P. Craig. Captain Company G* Jan. 7, 1862. Died
May 4, 1863, at Opelousas, La., of disease.

John M. Pike. Private, Company G, Dec. 6, 1861 ; sergeant,
Feb. 18, 1862 ; ist sergeant ; 2d lieutenant Company G, April 2,
1863; wounded, June 14, 1863; ist lieutenant Company G, May 5,
1863 ; captain, July 26, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865.

Samuel W. Shattuck. Drafted July 15, 1863 ; appointed adju
tant Oct. 20, 1863 ; wounded Oct. 19, 1864 ; captain Company H,
Nov. 24, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865. For a time served as
acting assistant adjutant general of second brigade, first division, i9th
Army Corps.

William W, Lyilde. Captain Company I, Jan. 17, 1862;
resigned Oct. 18, 1863, on account of ill health.

Francis E. Warren. Private Company I, Dec. 23, 1 86 1 ; cor
poral, Feb. 18, 1862; sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist sergeant,
June 8, 1864; wounded Sept. 19, 1864; ist lieutenant Company I,
Feb. 23, 1865 ; captain, April 18, 1865 ; mustered out June 28.
1865.

John S- Clark. Captain Company K, Jan. 22, 1862 ; died
March 20, 1863, of disease, at Hospital Hotel Dieu, New Orleans,
La.

Geo. 0. Ford. Private Company K, Dec. 16, 1861 ; sergeant,
Feb. 18, 1862 ; 2d lieutenant Company K, Feb. 19, 1863 \ ist lieu
tenant Company K, July i, 1863; wounded Sept. 19, 1864, and Oct.
19, 1864 ; mustered out Feb. 26, 1865.

James W. Smith. Private Company K, Feb. 3, 1862 ; corporal ;
sergeant; ist sergeant, Feb. 17, 1864; re-enlisted Feb. 18, 1864; 2d
lieutenant Company K, Feb. 20, 1864; captain Company K, Feb. 23,
1865 '•> mustered out June 28, 1865.

MILITARY RECORD. 271

FIRST LIEUTENANTS.

Ezra H. BrOWll. Private Company A, Oct. i, 1861 ; corporal,
Feb. 18, 1862 ; sergeant; ist sergeant, Dec. 14, 1863 ; re-enlisted Jan.
5, 1864; ist lieutenant Company A, Dec. 13, 1864; mustered out
June 28, 1865.

Stephen F. Spalding. ist lieutenant Company B, Dec. 19,
1861 } killed in action at Port Hudson, La., June 14, 1863; was
acting adjutant of the regiment when he was killed in the charge of
i4th of June.

Wheaton Livingston, Jr. Private Company B, Dec. 2. 1 86 1 ;
corporal; sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist sergeant, June 9,
1864; wounded Sept. 19, 1864; ist lieutenant Company B, Aug. 21,
1864; mustered out June 28, 1865.

Edward B. Wright, ist lieutenant Company C, Dec. 23, 1861 ;
resigned June 6, 1862.

Lewis Child. Private Company D, Dec. 7, 1861 ; regimental
commissary sergeant, March i, 1862 ; ist lieutenant Company C,
Dec. 6, 1863 ; mustered out June 30, 1865 ; served as acting com
missary of subsistence on staffs of second brigade and first division
of Nineteenth Army Corps ; received honorable mention for gallant
service at the battle of Cedar Creek.

Edward F. Gould. Private Company D, Jan. 3, 1862 ; sergeant
Feb. 18, 1862; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist sergeant, April 22, 1864;
ist lieutenant Company D, July-26, 1864; mustered out June 28,
1865.

Kilburn Day. ist lieutenant Company E, Jan. i, 1862 ; re
signed Dec. n, 1832.

Andrew J. Sargent. Private Company K, Feb. 13, 1862 ; ist
sergeant, Feb. 18, 1862; 2d lieutenant Company E, July 24, 1862;
ist lieutenant Company E, Dec. 12, 1863; wounded Oct. 19, 1864;
mustered out Feb. 26, 1865 ; taken prisoner at Bayou des Allemands,
La., Sept. 4, 1862.

Geo. G. Hutchins. Private Company E, Jan. 10, 1862 ; sergeant ;
ist sergeant, Aug. i, 1863 ; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864 ; 2d lieutenant

2/2 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Company E, Feb. 20, 1864; ist lieutenant Company E, Feb. 23,
1865 ; mustered out June 28, 1865.

Merrill L. HodgkhlS. Private Company H, Dec. 6, 1861 ; cor
poral, Feb. 1 8, 1861; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; regimental commissary
sergeant, June 9, 1864; ist lieutenant Company F, Nov. 24, 1864;
mustered out June 28, 1865.

Job W. Green, ist lieutenant Company G, Jan. 7, 1862 ; resigned
April i, 1863 ; taken prisoner at Bayou des Allemands, Sept. 4, 1862.

Martin L. Bruce. Private Company G, Nov. 27, 1861 ; corporal
Jan. i, 1864; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; sergeant July i, 1864; wounded
Oct. 19, 1864 ; ist lieutenant Company G, March 3, 1865 ; mustered
out June 28, 1865.

Waitstill R. Pettee. Private Company H, Dec. 10, 1861 ; cor
poral ; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; sergeant, April 12, 1864; regimental
quartermaster sergeant, July i, 1864; 2cl lieutenant Company H,
Nov. 24, 1864; ist lieutenant Company H, March 3, 1865 5 mustered
out June 28, 1865.

Geo. N. Holland, ist lieutenant Company I, Jan. 17, 1862; re
signed Oct. 25, 1862.

Joshua C- Morse. 2d lieutenant Company I, Jan. 17, 1862 ; ist
lieutenant, Oct. 25, 1862 ; resigned July 10, 1863.

George E. Selleck. Private Company I, Dec. 7, 1861 / ist ser
geant, Feb. 18, 1862; 2d lieutenant Company I, Oct. 25, 1862; ist
lieutenant Company I, Nov. 7, 1863 ; mustered out Feb. 26, 1865.

Frank R. Warner. Private Company I, Jan. 13, 1862 ; corporal ;
sergeant; re-enlisted Feb. 18, 1864; ist sergeant; 2d lieutenant
Company I, Feb. 20, 1864; ist lieutenant, April 18, 1865; mustered
out June 28, 1865 ; detailed as aid on General McMillan's staff.

Adoniram J. Howard, ist lieutenant Company K, Jan. 22,
1862 ; died Nov. 18, 1862, of disease ; served for a time as acting
quartermaster of the regiment.

Geo. F. French. 2d lieutenant Company K, Jan. 22, 1862; ist
lieutenant Jan. 3, 1863; resigned June 21, 1863; wa$ detailed for

MILITARY RECORD. 273

the signal service May, 1862, and served in that corps until he retired
from the army.

Nathan C. Cheney. Private Company K, Dec. 9, 1861 ; musician,
Feb. 1 8, 1862; sergeant; ist sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist
lieutenant Company K, Dec. 28, 1863; died Oct. 21, 1864, of wounds
received in action at Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864.

Perry Porter, Jr. Private Company K, Jan. i, 1862 ; sergeant
Feb. 18, 1862 ; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864 ; ist sergeant April 12, 1864;
wounded June 14, 1863, and Sept. 19, 1864; ist lieutenant Company
K, Nov. 24, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865.

SECOND LIEUTENANTS.

Oilman S. Rand. 2d lieutenant Company A, Nov. 13, 1861 ;
died July 22, 1862, of disease at Algiers, La.

Aaron K. Cooper. Private Company A, Sept. 26, 1861 ; corporal,
Feb. 18, 1862 ; sergeant; 2d lieutenant Company A, Dec. 24, 1862 •
killed in action at Cedar Creek, Virginia, Oct. 19, 1864.

Henry H. Newton. Private Company A, Oct. 19, 1861 ; corporal ;
sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; 2d lieutenant Company A, Dec.
13, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865 ; served on brigade staff.

William H. Spencer. Private Company B, Nov. 30, 1 86 1 ;
sergeant, Feb. 18, 1862 ; wounded June 14, 1863 ; re-enlisted Jan. 5,
1864; ist sergeant; 2d lieutenant Company B, Feb. 20, 1864; hon
orably discharged March 9, 1865, for wounds received in action at
Cedar Creek, Virginia, Oct. 19, 1864.

CurtlSS W. Lynn. Private Company B, Nov. 25, 1861 ; corporal ;
re-eniisted Jan. 5, 1864; sergeant, March 24, 1864; ist sergeant,
March 2, 1865 ; 2d lieutenant Company B, April 6, 1865 ; mustered
out June 28, 1865.

Frederick J. Fuller. 2d lieutenant Company C, Dec. 23, 1861 ;
dismissed the service June 2, 1863.

John A. Ripley. Private Company C, Nov. 30, 1861 ; corporal,
Feb. 18, 1862; sergeant; ist sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864;
2d lieutenant Company C, Feb. 20, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865.

18

2/4 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Darius GL Child. 2d lieutenant Company D, Dec. 28, 1861 ;
died of disease July 20, 1862, at Algiers, La.

Dennis Buckley. Private Company D, Nfcv. 2, 1861 ; ist ser
geant, Feb. 18, 1862 ; 2d lieutenant Company D, July 22, 1862 ;
cashiered and dismissed the service Dec. 7, 1863.

Nathaniel Robie. Private Company D, Nov. 22, 1861 ; sergeant,
Feb. 18, 1862; ist sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; wounded May
27, 1863, and Sept. 19, 1864; 2d lieutenant Company D, Feb. 20,
1864; died at St. Johnsbury, Vt., Dec. 6, 1864, of disease.

Horace P. EmerSOll. Private Company D, Dec. 9, 1861 ; cor
poral, July i, 1863 ; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; sergeant, April 22, 1864 ;
2d lieutenant Company D, March 3, 1865 ; mustered out June 28,
1865.

Truman P. Kellogg. 2d lieutenant Company E, Jan. i, 1862 ;
died July 23, 1862, of disease, at Algiers, La.

Newell H. Hibbard. Private Company E, Sept. 30, 1861 ; cor
poral, Feb. 18, 1862; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; sergeant, Feb. 23,
1864; ist sergeant, June 8, 1864; 2d lieutenant Company E, Feb.
23, 1865; resigned June 12, 1865.

Carter H. NaSOn. 2d lieutenant Company F, Jan. 3, 1862; dis
missed the service June 2, 1863.

Franklin R. Carpenter. Private Company F, Nov. 25, 1861 ;
corporal, Feb. 18, 1862; 2d lieutenant Company F, Dec. 8, 1863;
wounded Oct. 19, 1864; 'mustered out June 28, 1865; taken prisoner
at Cedar Creek.

Abner N. Flint. Private Company G, Dec. 18, 1861 ; corporal;
re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist sergeant, July i, 1864; 2d lieutenant
Company G, Nov. 24, 1864; mustered out June 28, 1865.

William H. H. Holton. 2d lieutenant Company H, Jan. 17,
1862 ; wounded at Raceland, La., June 22, 1862 ; resigned Jan. 13,
1863, and entered the service again in Invalid Corps.

MILITARY RECORD.

HymenillS A. Davis. Private Company H, Dec. 23, 1861 ;

corporal, Feb. 18, 1862; sergeant; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist
sergeant, April 12, 1864; 2d lieutenant Company H, March 3, 1865 ;
mustered out June 28, 1865.

Henry W. Downs. Private Company I, Nov. 28, 1861 ; corporal ;
sergeant, Dec. 13, 1863; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864; ist sergeant;
March 21, 1865 ; 2d lieutenant Company I, April 18, 1865 ; mustered

out June 28, 1865.

»

George W. HilL Private Company K, Dec. 9, 1861 ; corporal,
Feb. 18, 1862; wounded Sept. 4, 1862; re-enlisted Jan. 5, 1864;
sergeant, Feb. n, 1864; ist sergeant, Feb. 6, 1865; 2d lieutenant
Company K, Feb. 23, 1865 ; mustered out June 28, 1865.

Officers discharged from regiment as field and staff, 20; as captains,
24 ;-as ist lieutenants, 21 ; as 2d lieutenants, 20 ; total officers, 85.

Promotions of Enlisted Men.

COMPANY A,

SERGEANTS.

Riser, Harvey O., promoted in colored
regiment, Sept. 14, 1863.

CORPORALS.

Holbrook, Cornelius D., sergeant.
Woods, Horace, musician ; sergeant.

PRIVATES.

Albee, Stephen CM corporal.
Beard, Charles W., corporal, April 4,

1865.
Brown, Kirk F., corporal ; sergeant, Dec.

14, 1863.

Blood, Oilman W., corporal, May 9, 1865.
Brackett, Aurick S., hospital steward,

April 12, 1865.

Blake, Chas. W., captain U. S. C. T.
Carpenter, Jephaniah, corporal ; sergeant,

March 4, 1865.

Clark, Rufus H., captain U. S. C. T.
Downey, Henry D., corporal; sergeant,

May 9, 1865.

Fullington, Chas. B., lieutenant U. S. C. T.
Goodridge, Oscar W., captain U. S. C. T.
Hill, Seth C., sergeant, Dec. 14, 1863; ist

sergeant, Feb. 25, 1865.
Hovey, Rodger, corporal.
Kent, Melvin P., corporal.
Mudgett, Geo. E., corporal, Dec. 3, 1863.
Page, Albert W., corporal.

Page, Wm. B., corporal, March 15, 1865.

Smith, Harvey P., lieutenant.

Tobin, Michael B., promoted in colored

regiment, Sept. 14, 1863.
Tobin, Alfred L., corporal ; sergeant, Feb.

23, 1865.

Wells, Marshall W., corporal.
Westover, Wm. G., lieutenant.
Wood, Chas. G., lieutenant.
Willey, Martin C., corporal, May 9, 1865.

COMPANY B.

CORPORALS.

Holt, Henry H., sergeant ; ist sergeant,

May 2, 1865.
Harney, Hiram P., 2d lieutenant National

Guards, August 1862.
Moran, Asa B., sergeant, June 9, 1864.

MUSICIANS.

Blake, Isaac, chaplain colored regiment.

PRIVATES.

Atherton, John, corporal, Nov. i, 1864.
Barrett, Chas. S., corporal, March 2, 1864;

sergeant, May 2, 1865.
Blanchard, Geo. F., corporal, June 9, 1864.
Baraby, Joseph, corporal, May 2, 1865.
Bovven, John, musician.
Cunningham, Wm., musician.
Dawson, John R., corporal, July i, 1864.
Foss, Henry M., corporal.

PROMOTIONS.

277

Griffin, Geo. E., corporal, November i,

1864.
Halladay, Wilbert E., corporal ; sergeant,

July i, 1864.
Henry, Wm. H., corporal; sergeant, March

2, 1865.

McAuliffe, John, corporal, May 2, 1865.
Mooney, Edward, lieutenant U. S. C. T.
Murphy, Patrick, corporal, May 2, 1865.
Parsons, Walter W., corporal.
Smith, John C., corporal, Nov. i, 1864.
Reed, Winslow T., corporal, March 2,

1865.
Warren, Myron P., corporal.

COMPANY C.

SERGEANTS.

Abbott, Henry C., promoted in Second

Louisiana Volunteers, Sept. i, 1862.
Hawley, A. P., captain U. S. C. T.

CORPORALS.

Gilman, John, sergeant.
Lynn, Orange S., sergeant.
Crosby, William K., promoted in Second

Louisiana Volunteers, Aug., 1862.
Prouty, Elijah K., promoted in Second

Louisiana Volunteers, Oct. i, 1862.

PRIVATES.

Adams, John, corporal, July i, 1864.
Cushman, Francis C., musician.
Chamberlin, Lawrence K., promoted in

Second Louisiana Volunteers, Aug.,

1862.
Cobban, Simon C. F., corporal, June i,

1864.

Goodell, Geo. C., corporal.
Herriman, Turrill E., corporal ; sergeant,

July i, 1864 ; ist sergeant, Dec. 30,

1864.

Jay, Nathan P., corporal, Jan. 5, 1864.
Kennedy, Horace W., promoted second

lieutenant Louisiana volunteers, Feb.

28, 1863.
Lathrop, Cyrus W., corporal, March 30,

1865.
Leavitt, Nehemiah, sergeant.

Lewis, Sumner W , lieutenant U. S. C. T.
Martin, Carlos, corporal, Jan. i, 1865.
McNab, Carlos, wagoner.
Montret, Adolphe, corporal, Jan. i, 1865.
Noyes, James, promoted in Louisiana

National Guards, Dec. 31, 1862.
Noyes, Parker J. 2d lieutenant Louisiana

volunteers.

Noyes, William, captain.
Potwin, Napoleon, corporal; sergeant,

Jan. 5, 1864.
Pinard, Jovite, corporal, June i, 1864;

sergeant, Jan. i, 1865.
Putnam, Cornelius H , corporal, July i,

1864; sergeant, March 30, 1865.
Severance, Henry V., corporal ; sergeant;

sergeant major, Oct. 16, 1864.
Smith, Henry L., corporal ; sergeant, April

12, 1864.
Spencer, Loren H., corporal; sergeant,

July i, 1864.

Swinger, Lawrence, corporal, July I, 1864.
Simons, Orin, corporal, June I, 1864.
Titus, Lewis R., lieutenant U. S. C. T.
Whipple, Hiram L., promoted second
lieutenant Louisiana volunteers, Feb.
28, 1863.
Woods, Samuel N., corporal, July i, 1864.

COMPANY D.

CORPORALS.

Peabody, William S., lieutenant U.S.C.T.
Gilmore, Wm. H., promoted quartermas
ter sergeant, July i, 1862.

PRIVATES.

Austin, Geo. H., corporal; sergeant.
Bacon, Hiram, Jr., corporal ; sergeant,

Feb. 23, 1865.

Baldwin, Absalom, corporal.
Daniels, Oscar B., corporal, Feb. 23, 1865.
Haynes, Edward W., corporal, May 5,

1865.

Hayward, Putnam, corporal.
Lake, Edwin, corporal.
Mann, Stephen H., corporal; sergeant;

commissary sergeant, Feb. 6, 1865.

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Mills, Jacob, Jr., sergeant; ist sergeant,
Sept. i, 1864.

Richardson, Henry C., corporal; sergeant,
Sept. 11, 1864.

Rowe, Rufus H., sergeant.

Sprague, Lyman W., corporal, May 5,
1865.

Taplin, Horace E., corporal; sergeant,
Sept. n, 1864.

Tuttle, Elias J , corporal.

Tuttle, Geo. L., corporal, May 5, 1865.

Wild, Azariah T., quartermaster 3d col
ored regiment.

COMPANY E.

CORPORALS.

Phelps, John F., sergeant.
Bowman, Benjamin F., sergeant, June 8,
1864 ; ist sergeant, March 20, 1865.

PRIVATES.

Abbott, Calvin B., musician.

Brandt, Aleck, corporal.

Corliss, Albert A., corporal, June 8, 1864 ;

sergeant, March 20, 1865.
Hills, William P., corporal, Feb. 15, 1864.
Holmes, Ira, corporal. Jan. i, 1864.
Hull, Horace A., corporal, March i, 1865.
Jones, John P., corporal, July i, 1864.
Labarron, Robinson, corporal, July i,

1864.
Larned, Rollin E., musician,, transferred.

from Company G.

Maxham, George, corporal,. July i, 1864.
Morse, Andrew J., corporal, Jan. i, 1864.
Mason, Hezekiah W., corporal,/ March I,

1865.
Putman, Hiram M., corporal ; sergeant,

July i, 1864.
Phelps, Benijah, corporal, July i, 1864;

sergeant, March 20, 1865.
Pike, Geo. T., corporal, Nov. i, 1864.
Reynolds, Henry A., musician.
Staples, Francis H., corporal -r sergeant.

July i, 1864.

Staples, Charles, corporal, Nov. i, 1864.
Tirrell, Eri W., corporal, Mareh i, 1865.

COMPANY F.

SERGEANTS.

Nichols, Henry* C., discharged for pro
motion, Oct. 8, 1863.

CORPORALS.
Wood, Xenophon W., sergeant.

PRIVATES.

Burnham, Benjamin F., discharged Dec.

13, 1864,. for promotion in colored

troops.

Bartron, Napoleon, Jr., corporal.
Bordo, Julius, corporal, May 18, 1865.
Clapper, Jacob, corporal, May 18, 1865.
Davis, John E., corporal.
Davis, Lewis A., corporal.
Dicker, William A., corporal, March 18,

1865.

Duling, John, corporal, July i, 1864.
Ellsworth, Hebron, corporal ; sergeant>

July i, 1864.
Faueuf, Geo. N., corporal, July i, 1864 ;

sergeant, May 18, 1865.
Gardner, Michael, corporal ; sergeant,

March i, 1865,
Lampher, Edgar R., corporal ; sergeant,

July i, 1864; ist sergeant, April i, 1865.
Mitchell, Diamond B., corporal, April 27,

1865,

Phelps, Henry W., corporal.
Payne, Dighton L., corporal, May i, 1865,
Saltus, Edward, corporal ; sergeant.
Sanderson, Hiram L., corporal, May i,

1865.

St. Louis, Jesse, wagoner, July i, 1864.
Wheeler, Henry B., corporal, July i,

1864,
Wood, Ephraim, corporal, July i, 1864 j

sergeant, May 18, 1865.
Wright, Edward B., ist sergeant, July i,

1864.
Whitney, Henry D.r corporal, May ir

1865.

PROMOTION'S.

279

COMPANY G.

CORPORALS.

Sargent, Johnson B., sergeant.

Lewis, Leonard R., sergeant, Nov. 2, 1863. i

Loomis, Charles A., sergeant.

PRIVATES.

Battles, Charles W., corporal.
Battles, Ira, corporal, Jan. I, 1864.
Bissell, Lucius W, commander in Third

Louisiana National Guards, Jan. 24,

1863.

Bement, James H, corporal, Nov. I, 1864.
Coles, Seymour N., corporal, July i, 1864.
Culver, Seymour, corporal, March i, 1865.
Eaton, Daniel W., corporal, Nov. i, 1863;

sergeant, July I, 1864; ist sergeant,

March i, 1865.
Flanders, Thomas N., corporal, July i,

1864; sergeant, April 12, 1865.
Hatch, John, corporal, July i, 1864 ;

sergeant, March i, 1865.
Lewis, David W., corporal, Nov. i, 1863;
Lyman, Joel F., corporal, Nov. i, 1864.
Ordway, Charles H., corporal, Nov. i,

1864.

Plumley, Wm. D., corporal, May 23, 1864.
Pierce, Chas. A., corporal, Nov. i, 1864.
Richards, George, corporal, May i, 1865.
Sprague, Tyler E., corporal, Jan. i, 1864 \

sergeant, July i, 1864.
Sumner, Samuel W., corporal ; sergeant,

May 23, 1864.
Titus, Henry H., corporal, March i, 1864;

sergeant, Nov. i, 1864.

COMPANY H.

SERGEANTS.

Winslow, L. I., sergeant ; captain.

PRIVATES.

Allen, Jonathan V., corporal ; sergeant,

Feb. 28, 1864.

Aldrich, Milo D., corporal, Dec, 8, 1864.
Barker, Augustus, corporal, Nov. 26, 1863.
Brimhall, Fred F., corporal, June 2, 1865.

Brown, Henry B., corporal ; sergeant,

Nov. 22, 1863.

Brown, Marion M., corporal, July i, 1864.
Childs, Samuel S., corporal, April 12?

1864.

Crowley, Noah S., corporal, July r, 1864.
Davis, Otis A., corporal, April 12. 1865.
Frasa, Joseph, corporal, July i} 1864.
Holt, Lovell S., fifer, Jan. i, 1863.
Howard, Horace W., corporal, July i,

1864-
Lee, Edwin P., corporal, April 12, 1864 ;

sergeant, April 12, 1865.
Lee, Alfred A., corporal, June 2, 1865.
Merrifield, Albert H., corporal ; sergeant,

July i, 1864.
Martin, Anselm, principal musician, Feb.

2, 1865.
Morgan, Andrew B., corporal, Feb. 23,

1865.
Peck, Joseph H., corporal, July i, 1864;

sergeant, April 12, 1865.
Parsons, William H., corporal, June 2,

1865.

Perry, Wm. W., Jr., corporal.
Prouty, Fred M., musician.
Puffer, Henry, corporal, June 9, 1864 ; ser
geant, Dec. 8, 1864; Ist sergeant, April

12, 1865.
Smith, Stillman, lieutenant 2d Louisiana

volunteers.
Steinburg, John G., corporal, Feb. 28,

1864; sergeant, July i, 1864.
White, Ira M., corporal.

COMPANY I.

CORPORALS.

Gregory, Edward P., sergeant.

Thorn, Rufus C., sergeant, June 8, 1864.

Lamb, Lewis H., sergeant.

PRIVATES.

Bartlett, Clarence A., corporal; sergeant.
Brown, Charles F., corporal, Oct. 11,

1864.
Bemis, Leonard C., corporal.

280

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Burrows, George P., corporal, March 21,

1865.

Black, James F., corporal.
Brown, George D., corporal, March 3,

1865.

Eddy, George P., corporal.
Hill, Herbert E., corporal, May 2, 1865.
Mills, Daniel B., corporal, May 2, 1865.
Kerr, Alonzo D., corporal, sergeant ;

March 21, 1865.
Sawyer, Willard W., corporal ; sergeant,

Oct. 19, 1864; quartermaster sergeant,

March 2, 1865.
Smith, Charles S., corporal; sergeant,

July i, 1864; ist sergeant, May 2, 1865.
Worden, Alfred S., corporal.
Woodman, John P., corporal, July I, 1864.
Ward, Austin H., corporal, Sept. 19, 1864 ;

sergeant, May 2, 1865.

COMPANY K.

CORPORALS.

Oilman, Geo. D., sergeant.
Snow, Chauncey M., sergeant.

PRIVATES.

Barron, Harry V., corporal, Nov. i, 1864.
Douglas, Franklin B., corporal, July i,

1864.

Drown, Aaron, corporal, Nov. I, 1864.
Hart, William A., corporal, Nov. i, 1864.
Leonard, Willis R., corporal, Feb. 6, 1865.
Parker, Levi H., corporal; sergeant, July

i, 1864.

Perham, Lyman F., corporal.
Pierce, Ezra S., corporal.
Price, Edward, corporal, Feb. 17, 1864.
Petrie, William, musician.
Roberts, Perley P., corporal, April 12,

1864 ; sergeant, May 28, 1865.
Shores, Ethan P., corporal, Nov. 26, 1863;

sergeant, July i, 1864.
Silsby, Wm. H., corporal, Dec. 23, 1863;

sergeant, Feb. 6, 1865.
Simons, Solon L., corporal; sergeant, April

12, 1864 ; ist sergeant, March 20, 1865.
Thomas, Oscar, corporal, March 20,

1865.
Turbush, George, corporal, March 20,

1865.

RECAPITULA TION. 28 1

Officers of the Eighth Vermont Regiment.

During the period of its military service the Eighth Vermont Regiment had one
hundred and thirty-four different commissioned officers, including two colonels, five
lieutenant colonels, seven majors, three adjutants, three quartermasters, two sur
geons, four assistant surgeons, two chaplains, thirty captains, thirty-nine first lieuten
ants, and thirty-seven second lieutenants.

It had sixteen non-commissioned staff officers, including four sergeant majors, four
quartermaster sergeants, four commissary sergeants, three hospital stewards, and
one drum major.

The number of commissioned officers belonging to each company was as follows :
Company A, nine; Company B, eleven ; Company C, nine ; Company D, nine ;
Company E, nine ; Company F, nine ; Company G, twelve ; Company H, twelve ;
Company I, thirteen ; Company K, thirteen.

Battles and Skirmishes in which the Eighth Vermont
Regiment was engaged.

The Eighth Vermont Regiment took part in the following engagements :

Raceland June 22, 1862

Boutee Station Sept. 4, 1862

Bayou des Allemands Sept. 4, 1862

Battle of the Cotton Jan. 14, 1863

Bisland April 12, 1863

Bisland April 13, 1863

r Assault May 27, 1863

Port Hudson* •< Night engagement June 10, 1863

(Assault June 14, 1863

Donaldsonville July 10, 1863

Opequon (Winchester) Sept. 19, 1864

Fisher's Hill Sept. 22, 1864

Night engagement near Woodstock Sept. 22, 1864

Cedar Creek Oct. 19, 1864

Newtown Nov. 12, 1864

To these should be added skirmishes of more or less importance, at New Market,
Harrisonburg, Mount Jackson, Summit Point, and many others.

The regiment, or some portion of it, was under fire on sixty-two different days,
including battles and skirmishes, when some of the men were either killed or
wounded.

*The siege lasted forty-four days, during which the regiment was constantly under fire and suffered
daily casualties.

N on-Commissioned Officers and Privates

Who Died from Disease and Other Causes, except Casualties in Battle.

COMPANY A.

Martin, Sergt. Chas. C , July 18, 1862.
Whitcomb, Musician Lewis, May 20, 1864.

PRIVATES.

Albee, Stephen C., May 4, 1865, from bad

treatment while prisoner.
Benson, Lucius M., July 31, 1862.
Bickford, Dennis, N. Oct. 6, 1862.
Buckley, Chas. II., June 23, 1862.
Carpenter, Josiah U., Dec. 2, 1862.
Chamberlin, Joseph W., Jan. ir, 1864.
Clement, James H., Jan. 10, 1863.
Eaton, Ransom, May 26, 1863.
Geer, Thomas L., Dec. 15, 1864.
Gale, Justus F., Sept. 19, 1863.
Kidder, Aaron B., June 10, 1864.
Lathrop, Julius M., Dec. 31, 1864.
Marston, Ira L., Jan. 10, 1863. ,
Merriam, John W., Sept. 24, 1863.
Morse, Orson, March 5, 1865.
Norton, William, March 21, 1864.
Robinson, Ransom E., July 20, 1862.

COMPANY B.

Lunt, Corp. Benjamin P., July 23, 1862.
Piper, Corp. Nathaniel A., Aug. 9, 1863.
Hill, Wagoner James H., shot by Private
O'Mere, May 14, 1863.

PRIVATES.

Allyn, Paschal W., Dec. 24, 1864.
Bacon, Elias, Oct. 28, 1863.
Barnard, Francis B.. May 22, 1863.
Bodett, Peter, Aug. 7, 1862.
Berry, Richard, May 23, 1864.
Bombard, Alonzo H., May 24, 1865.
Fairbanks, Freeman A , March 30, 1864.
Gray, Orin, June 6, 1864.
Hill, Titus, Aug. 17, 1862.
Horn, Joseph, July 9, 1862.
Lee, William S., July 3, 1863.
McCabe, Hiram, Sept. 19, 1862.
McKenzie, Andrew, drowned, June 27,

1862.

Parlin, Abel A., June 13, 1863.
Stafford, Isaac B., March 26, 1864.
Turner, Chas. W., July 25, 1862.

COMPANY C.

Waldron, Sergeant Benjamin, March 29,

1865.

Lynn, Sergeant Orange S., June 18, 1863.
Brill, Corporal David N., Aug. 28, 1863.
Jay, Corporal Nathan P., at Salisbury,
- N. C. Nov., 1864.

PRIVATES.

Bailey, George W., July 22, 1862.

THE LIST OF DEAD.

283

Bebard, Ezra, May, 1863.
Chamberlin, Benjamin, Aug. 12, 1864.
Clark, Lewis A., Nov i, 1863.
Clough, Joel, July 23, 1862.
Derby, Henry N., March 31, 1864.
Evans, Walter D., June 25, 1863.
Farnham, Horace S., Sept. 16, 1864.
George, Joseph, July 16, 1864.
Haskins, Leonard, July 21, 1862.
Hayward, Oscar F., Nov. u, 1862.
Hill, William, Aug. 17, 1862.
Kiser, Hiram S., date not known.
McGaffey, Alonzo, June 3, 1862.
McColley, James, April 15, 1865.
Noyes, John W., June 28, 1863.
Page, Albert E., May 20, 186^.
Pettee, Jacob L., July 6, 1863.
Prisby, Hollis W., Aug. 23, 1863.
Rosebush, Martin, July 5, 1863.

COMPANY D.

Woodbury, Corp. Chas. W., March 22,

1863.
Garland, Corp. Edwin P., March 4, 1864

PRIVATES.

Avery, Geo. W., June 28, 1862.
Allen, John, April 14, 1865.
Avery, Sylvester H., June 3, 1863.
Bugbee, Charles P., Nov. 28, 1862.
Barber, Chas. S., Feb. 26, 1865.
Carpenter, Edmond, Nov. 3, 1864.
Eastman, Harmon W., April 10, 1863.
Fay, James T., Aug. 30, 1864.
Foot, Dennis W., Nov. 27, 1862.
Foster, Ezekiel, Dec. 20, 1862.
Harradan, Geo. W., died, 1864.
Johnson, Eben E., Dec., 1863.
Lamb, Chas. S., April 21, 1862.
Liscom, John E., Nov. 24, 1862.
Meder, Horace E., March 25, 1863.
Magaghan, John, drowned May 31, 1864.
Peabody, Luther, killed by explosion of

ammunition team, Nov. 7, 1862.
Shumway, Monroe, Dec. 15, 1862.
Stevens, Elbridge E., June n, 1864.
Thomas, Freeling G., Oct. 22, 1864.

COMPANY E.

Maxham, Corp. Orrin, Feb., 1863.
Wilson, Corp. Francis, Dec. 5, 1862.
Maxham, Wagoner Oscar, at Salisbury,
N. C., Jan. 25, 1865.

PRIVATES.

Becker, Gustavus C., prisoner Sept. 4,

1862 ; shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862.
Bailey, Amos, June 22, 1862.
Bellows, Franklin, July 20, 1864.
Bailey, Samuel A., Sept 23, 1862,
Bowen, Dustin, Jr., Dec. 9, 1864.
Barrett, Levi, Oct. 4, 1863.
Bahne, Deidrich, prisoner Sept. 4, 1862 ;

shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862.
Corliss, Stephen, April 22, 1863.
Davis, John, July 31. 1864.
Emery, Ezra H., July 10. 1863.
French, David E., Nov. 10, 1862.
Grant, Geo. R., killed on Vermont Valley

Railroad, June 27, 1865, while en route

to Brattleboro to be mustered out.
Harding, John W., March 6, 1865.
Hills, Charles E. L., July 3, 1863.
Hurst, Bernard, prisoner Sept 4, 1862 ;

shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862.
Kinson, Benjamin H., June 18, 1862.
Keeler, Frederick L., June 13, 1864.
Kempton, Oliver W., April 20, 1864.
McMurphy, Julius, Nov. 16, 1863.
Morey, Robert, Jan., 1863.
Mosman, Michael, prisoner Sept. 4, 1862.

shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862.
Morse, Luther W., June 19, 1863.
Newell, William, April 4, 1864,
Larned, Rollin E., at Salisbury, N. C.,

Nov. 2, 1864.
Leichleider, John, prisoner Sept. 4, 1862;

shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862.
Leichleider, Michael, prisoner Sept. 4,

1862 ; shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862.
Olden, Daniel, Nov. 7, 1864.
Olden, George E., May 16, 1864.
Paul, Frank, prisoner Sept. 4, 1862; shot

by rebels Oct. 23, 1862.
Poor, George H., Sept. 29, 1862.

284

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Reed, Alfred M., Aug. 15, 1862.
Reed, Andrew J., Aug. 29, 1863.
Sabin, David P., Sept. 26, 1863.
Shontell, Frederick, May 16, 1862.
Slayton, Theodore, April 22, 1863.
Warren, Alonzo S., March 19, 1863.
Webster, Ephraim, Nov. ir, 1862.
Wheat, Geo. F., March 14, 1862.
Wood, Henry M., Sept. 3, 1862.
Wood, William W., July 14, 1863.
Woodbury, Asa, April 27, 1863.
Walker, Erastus A., August 29, 1864.

COMPANY F.

Chase, Sergt. Bonaparte J., June 30,

PRIVATES.

Barnes, Chester W., July 12, 1863.
Davis, John E., Sept. 20, 1864.
Duling, John, March 24, 1865.
Goddard, Elisha A., June 26, 1862.
Goodchild, John M., June 19, 1863.
He^chey, Thomas H., died at Salisbury,

N. C., Jan., 1865.
Moshier, Lewis, July 28, 1863.
Meyers, George, March 8, 1864.
Mathews, Geo. W., May 31, 1864.
Parker, Geo. E., May 24, 1864.
Saul, Edmond, June 23, 1862.
Scribner, Geo. W., May 2, 1863.
Taylor, Henry W., Aug. 27, 1863.

COMPANY G.

Sumner, Sergt. Samuel W., August 6,

1864.

Lewis, Sergt. Leonard R., May 22, 1864.
Woodbury, Corp. Dudley C., Sept. 10,

1863.

Walker, Corp. George, April 27, 1862.
Lewis, Corp. David W., July 8, 1864.

PRIVATES.

Arnold, Benjamin F., at Salisbury, N. C.,

Dec. 29, 1864.

Atwood, Irving H., Aug. 12, 1864.
Blanchard, Adolphus, April 12, 1863.

Brown, Wm. II., prisoner, and shot by

enemy, March 7, 1863.
Coy, Charles C., Aug. 22, 1864, on board

U. S. steamer, Mississippi.
Carmody, Con • July 23, 1863.
Darling, Joseph, June 10, 1864.
Depathy, John F., Sept. 4, 1863.
Depuys, Antoine, Oct. 16, 1864.
Evans, Lyman B., Sept. 13, 1863.
George, Jethro S., April 14, 1864.
Horton, Prescott, died on way to hospital

in Vermont.

Howard, Chester J., July 19, 1862.
Harlow, Wm. W., April 29, 1864.
Hoezle, Louis, June 28, 1863.
Honey, Aman S., March 28, 1864.
Hull, Felix F., May 15,1863.
Kemp, Langdon, July 16, 1863.
Kinney, Andrew J., July 22, 1863.
Kean, Dennis, shot by rebels, March 7,

1863, while prisoner.
Montgomery, Judson M., June 12, 1862.
Morrill, John F., Feb. 22, 1865.
Putnam, George P. Nov. 27, 1864.
Quimby, Henry S., Feb. 24, 1863.
Rotary, Victory, June 2, 1862.
Stevens, Nathaniel L., April 21, 1864.
Spear, Edwin, June 2, 1862.
Smith, George W., May 30, 1864, at An-

dersonville, Ga.

Slack, Charles D., March 15, 1865.
Titus, Graham N., August 21, 1862.
Twilight, Charles B. P., July 12, 1863.
Trask, Reuben L., April 24, 1864.
Whitcher, Alfred, April 20, 1865.

COMPANY H.

Higgins, Corp. Alvin G , Dec. 9, 1863.
Hilliard, Corp. Gilbert G., Sept. 14,

1863.
Gale, Wagoner Burnell B., Aug. 16, 1862.

PRIVATES.

Bush, Alonzo P., Aug. 26, 1862.
Butler, Herbert J., July 13, 1864.
Brown, Lansford H., May 24, 1865.

THE LIST OF DEAD.

285

Fish, Walter W., April 25, 1864.
Hale, Albert T., July 19, 1862.
Henry, James M., Oct. 15, 1862.
Jackson, Wills, June 10, 1864.
Kilburn, Nathaniel A., March u, 1865.
Lincoln, Matthias, April 6, 1864.
Miller, Ransom B., Jan. 10, 1863.
Oaks, Ebenezer, Jr., Oct. 15, 1862.
Prouty, John, date unknown.
Twombly, Albert J., Jan. 17, 1863.
Way, Oscar H., April 8, 1865.
Wood, Andrew J., July 27, 1862.

COMPANY I.

Hudson, Corp. Bonaparte, May 24, 1862.
PRIVATES.

Arling, Solomon S., July 23, 1863.
Bryant, Joseph C., Sept. 3, 1864.
Carroll, Henry W., June 19, 1865.
Davis, Eros L., March 18, 1862, on ship

Wallace.

Dunklee, Willard S., March 17, 1865.
Fairbanks, Wayland E., Jan. 25, 1865
Gregory, Stephen, June 24, 1863.
Hill, Elbridge G., June 13, 1863.
Lamson, Daniel, March 10, 1863.
Phillips, Hiram O., June 28, 1864.
Rice, Orrin L., Aug. 21. 1862.
Robinson, Moses W., March 11, 1865.
Smith, William, died at New Orleans,

date unknown.
Tooley, David A., Aug. 30, 1863.

Wood, Lewis A., Aug. 17, 1863.
Worden, Francis N., June 23, 1862.

COMPANY K.

Ford, Corp. Alonzo L.; Sept. 3, 1863.
Day, Wagoner Wesley H., July 12, 1863,
of accidental gunshot wound.

PRIVATES.

Aldrich, John H., March 18, 1863.
Ball, Frederick, July 25, 1864.
Bartlett, Chas. W., Nov. 29, 1862.
Bates, George D., Nov. 9, 1862.
Boyce, John W., March i, 1862.
Buzzell, Solon D., April 29, 1862.
Chase, William E., at Algiers, La., date

unknown.

Cole, Daniel, July 6, 1863.
Croteau, Joseph, June 18. 1862.
Dunton, Geo. W., Nov. i, 1863.
Farnham, Charles H., Sept. 4, 1862.
French, Geo. W., died, date unknown.
Gordon, John G., July 8, 1863.
Griffin, Otis E., Aug. 14, 1863.
Grow, Charles H., Aug. 5, 1862.
Hartwell, James S., Nov. 5, 1862.
Hudson, William C., May 7, 1863.
Jenkins, Willis, July 23, 1862.
Nutter, Henry B., April 18, 1865.
Parker, Oramel H.,, Nov. 6, 1862.
Silsby, Charles, March 27, 1864.
Thomas, Lewis, Oct. 16, 1864.
Woodruff, Henry, July 4, 1863.

286

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.*

FIELD, STAFF, AND NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Commission.

Date of
Discharge.

Colonel, Stephen Thomas . .
Li. Col., Edward M. Brown .
Maj., Chas. Dillingham . .
Surgeon, Geo. F. Gale . . .

West Fairlee
Montpelier .
Waterbury .
Brattleboro

Rl

40
25
34

Nov. 12, 1861.
Jan. !». 1862.
Dec. 24, 1862.
Dec. 10,1861.

Jan. 21, 1865.
Dec. 2o, 1*62.
Dec. 12, 1863.
June 24 1862

Asst. Xurg.. H. H. Gillett . .
A djt., John L Barstow . .

Corinth . .
Shelburne .

36

29

Dec. 10, 1861.
Feb. 1!). 1X62.

June 28, 1865.
June 22 1864.

Q. M., Fre.lE. Smith . . .
Chaplain, Francis C. Williams

Montpelier .
Brattleboro . .

31
37

Nov. 23, 1S6I.
Dec. 20, 1861.

Nov. 30, 1863.
June 22, 1864.

NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Seryt. Maj., Geo. N. Carpenter
Drum Maj., Gershom H. Flagg
Q. M. Sert/t., J. Elliott Smith
( 'o??i. Seryt., Lewis Child . .
Hospital Steioard, S. H. Currier

Northfield . .
Richmond . .
Montpelier . .
Fairlee . . .
West Fairlee .

22
33
26
23
26

Feb. 1, 1862.
Dec. 1, 1861.
Dec. 1, 1861.
Dec. 7, 1861.
Dec. 10, 1861.

July 2, 1864.
Jan. 5, 1864.
May 17, 1862.
Jan. 30, 1865.
Oct. 20, 1862.

COMPANY A, HYDE PARK.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Commission.

Date of

Discharge.

Capt., Luman M. Grout . .
1st Lieut., Moses McFarland
2d Lieut., Gilman S. Rand .

Elmore ....
Waterville . . .
Mormville . . .

38
40
20

Nov. 13, 1861.
Nov. 13, 1861.
Nov. 13, 1861.

June 11, 1863.
June 28, 1865.
•July 22, 1862.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of

Discharge.

SERGEANTS.
1st, Lemuel M. Hutchinson .
Chas C. Martin ....

Worcester . . .

24
21

22
29
22

20
19
23
19
23
23
20
24

Oct. 1, 1861.
Oct. 23, 1861.
Oct. 28, 1861.
Oct. 3, 1861.
Oct. 19, 1861.

Sept. 26, 1861.
Oct. 23, 1861.
Sept. 24,1861.
Sept. 26, 1861.
Sept. 23, 1861.
Oct. 1, 1861.
Sept. 26, 1861.
Sept. 23,1861.

June 28, 1865.
*JuIy 18, 1862.
Nov. 25, 1862.
Sept. 14, 1863.
Nov. 25, 1863.

tOct. 19, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
July 15, 1862.
Nov. 25, 1862.
June 28,1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.

Chas. W. Blnke
Harvev O'Kiser . . .

Eden
Plainfield . . .
Lowell ....

Worcester . .
Belvidere . .
Johnson . . .
Morristown
Hvde Park . .
Waterville . .
Wolcott . . .
Johnson . . .

Oscar W. Goodridge ....

CORPORALS.
Aaron K. Cooper
Henry Carpenter . . .

JairusD. Clark ....

Harvey L Smith . .

Cornelius D. Holbrook . . .
P'zra H. Brown

Horace Woods . .

Joseph Farnum . . .

*Died of disease. t Killed iu battle.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.

287

COMPAXV A. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

MUSICIAXS.
Lewis Whitcomb .

Hvde Park

36

Sept 2G, 1861.

*May 20 1864.

Walter >V. Barnes ....

WAGONER.
Norman Smith .

Hyde Park . . .

Wolcott . .

26
24

Sept. 23, 1801.
Sept. 26, 1S61

March 22, 1864.
j June 28, 1865

PRIVATES.
Ailes, Svlvanus F
Albee, Stephen C
Beard Chas W

Cambridge . . .
Elmore ....
Johnson .

35
24
18

Oct. 3, 1861.
Sept. 24, 1861.
Oct 2 1861

tSept. 4, 1862.
*May 4, 1865.
June 28 1865

Beard, Curtis A
Benson, Jefferson T . . . .
Benson, Lucius M ....
Bickfonl, Dennis N ....
Blake Orwell . . .

Waterville . . .
AVorcester . . .
Worcester . . .
Waterbury . . .
Eden

42
18
20
18
25

Sept. 30, 1861.
Nov. 6, 1861.
Nov. 5, 1861.
Oct. 30, 1861.
Oct. 16, 1861.

June 28,1865.
June 11,1864.
*JuIy 31, 1862.
*Oct. 6, 1862.
Nov. 25, 1862.

Blood, Oilman W
Boynton, Chaa. W . . . .

Lowell ....
Hvde Park . . .
Hyde Park .

19
18
41

Oct. 28, 1861.
Dec. 24,1861.
Dec 24 1861.

June 28,1865.
March 19, 1864.
June 22, 1864

Brown Fitch C ....

Wolcott . . .

18

Nov 14,1861.

June 11, 1864.

Brown Kirk F

Waterville . .

19

Sept. 23, 1861.

May 5, 1865

Buckley, Chas H . .

Eden ....

22

Sept. 28,1861.

*June 23, 1862.

Carpenter, Jephaniah . . .
Carpenter, Josiah D . . . .
Carpenter, Phineas ....
Chamberlin, Joseph W

Waterville . . .
Waterville . . .
Belvidere . . .
Eden . . .

18
44
44

29

Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Sept. 24, 1861.
Sept. 24, 1861.

June 28, 1865.
*Dec. 2, 1862.
Feb. 28, 1863.
*Jan. 11, 1864.

Chayer John B . .

Nov. 12 1861.

June 28 1865.

Clark, Carlos S

Stowe . .

23

Nov. 6, 1861

June 1, 1865

Clark Jehial P ...

18

Sept 24 1861.

March 12, 1862

Clark, Rufus H
Clement, James H . . . .
Cooper Chas S

Elmore ....
Morriaville . . .
Elmore

19
19
18

Nov. 5, 1861.
Sept. 24, 1861.
Sept. 30, 1861.

Nov. 25, 1862.
*Jan. 10, 1863.
June 22, 1864

Cross Madison . . .

18

Dec 3 1861

Sept. 20, 1863

Downey, Henry D . . . .
Dunham, Oliver P ....
Eaton, Ransom
Farnam, Barachias ....
Fullington, Chas. B . . . .
Gale, Justus F
George, John

Belvidere . . .
Lowell ....
Morristown . .
Craftsbury . . .
Morrisville . . .
Elmore ....
Worcester

22
21
28
44
22
24
44

Dec. 6, 1861.
Oct. 25, 1861.
Nov. 14, 1861.
Oct. 20, 1861.
Oct. 2, 1861.
Sept. 23, 1861.
Sept. 30 1861

June 28, 1865.
June 12, 1865.
*Mav 26, 1863.
July' 20,1863.
Nov. 25, 1862.
*Sept. 19, 1863.
May 4, 1863

Hall John . .

Stowe .

43

Oct 11 1861

July 17 1865

Hays, Oran Philander . . .
Hays, Oran Philetus ....
Hill, Seth C . .

Waterville . . .
Waterville . . .
Eden . .

23
26
21

Nov. 21, 1861.
Oct. 9, 1861.
Nov. 4, 1861

Aug. 6, 1863.
June 28,1865.
June 28, 1865.

Hovey, Rodger .......
Kent, Mel v in P . . .

Worcester . . .
Worcester

22
26

Oct. 1, 1861.
Sept 26 1861

June 28, 1865.
July 20, 1865

Kimball, James

Eden . . .

44

Sept 23, 1861

Aug 18, 1862.

Kimball, Joseph O . . . .
Kinsley, William W . . . .
Kusic, Richard . . . .

Morristown . .
Fletcher ....

32

22
40

Dec. 9, 1861.
Nov. 19, 1861.
Dec 10 1861

tMav 27,1863.
Tr.Vt.R. corps.
June 28, 1865

Lambert Peter

Waterville

22

Dec 11 1861

June 28 1865

Trov .

22

Nov. 13*1861

June 28, 1865

Longa Chas H . .

Lowell

2t

Nov 4' 1861

July 15 1862

Marston, Ira L . . .

Stowe

18

Oct 15 1861

*Jan 10 1863

McGookin, Rodney ....

Belvidere . . .
Johnson .

36
35

Oct. 25, 1861.
Sept 28 1861

July 15, 1862.
Aug 1, 1863.

Merriam, John W ....
Morse, John O . .

Elmore ....
Hyde Park .

24
18

Sept. 23, 1X61.
Oct 21, 1861

*Sept. 24, 1863.
June 28 1865.

Mudgett, Geo. E
Newton, Henrv H . . . .
Norton, William .

Johnson . . . .
Lowell . . . . |

18
21
35

Nov. 24, 1861.
Oct. 19, 1861.
Dec 10 1*61

June 28,1865.
June 28, 1865.
*Mar. 21, 1864.

Page, Albert W ....
Page, William B

Waterville . . .

20
24

Sept. 26, 1861.
Nov 6 1861

June 28, 1*65.
June 28, 1865.

Remick, George

36

Sept 27 1861

Feb 21, 1865.

Robinson. Ransom E . .
Rollins, William . • . . .

Lowell ....
Morristown . . .

22
27

Dec.' 2l! I86l!
Nov 25, 1861.

*July 20,1862.
March 22, 1862.

*Died of disease.

t Killed in battle.

288

THE EIGHTH VERMONT,

COMPANY A. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

I

Date of
Discharge.

Russell, Chas. F
Sanborn Chas. B . . . .

Stowe
Lowell . . .

21

<>o

Oct. 1,1861.
Oct 25, 1861

Nov. 25, 1862.
tJune 13 1864

Highgate

Nov 16 1861

tMay $7 1863

Shattuck, Chauncy ....
Shattuck Jerre .

Waterville . . .

30
44

Oct. 24, 1861.
Oct. 21 1861

June 28J1865!
July 15 1862

Silver, Alonzo . .

Morristown .

42

Oct. 29, 1861

tSept 5 1862

Smith, Calvin W. H . . . .
Smith Wru H

Morristowu . .

24

Nov. 14, 1861.
Oct 30 1861

Feb. 21, 1863.
June °8 1865

Stratton, Hiram A . • . .
Stowe Albert A

Johnson ....

18
19

Oct. 28, 1861.
Nov 13 1861

June 28, 1865.
July 7 1865

Tillotson, Nathaniel ....
Tillotson, Nathaniel, 2d . .
Tobin AlfredL

Lowell ....
Waterville . . .
Waterville

44

28
18

Oct. 19, 1861.
Oct. 1, 1861.
Dec 9 1861

March 29,' 1864.'
IJune 13, 1864.
June °8 1865

Tobin' Michael B
Wells, Marshall W . . . .
VVescum Henry . . . .

Waterville . . .
Waterville . . .
Montgomery .

20
19
23

Oct. 2, 1861.
Sept. 30, 1861.
Oct 25 1861

Sept 14*. 1*63!
§Sept. 20, 1861.
July 15 1869

Weseuru Mitchell ....

Eden .

29

Nov 2 1861

June 28 1865.

Wesoonib Charles .

Eden .

19

Oct 30 1861

June 98 1865

Wescomb, Joseph ....
Westover, Win. G ....
Whittemore Carshena K .

Eden
Morristown . .
Eden

21
24

18

Oct. 30, 1861.
Nov. 14, 1861.
Nov 6 1861

June 28, 1865.
Nov. 25, 1862.
June 22 1864

Whittemore, Lawson . . .
Willey, Martin C .

Eden
Waterville

19
21

Novl 4, 1861 1
Sept 23 1861

tSept. 19, 1864.
June 28 1865

Wood, Chas. G

Richford ....

21

Oct. 30 1861.

Feb. 17', 1863

RECRUITS.
Albee, William A

Total

101
22

Aug 11 1864.

June 1, 1865.

Beckley Geo I . ,

26

Dec 3 1863

July 24, 1865

21

Feb 11 1865

June ''8 1865

Beedle Chas C . . .

18

Feb 18 1865

June 28 1865

Bracket Aurick S

18

Feb 19 1865

June 28 1865

Bucklin Mason C

19

Feb. 11 1865

June 28, 1865

Bucklin, Milo

20

Feb. 14, 1865.

June 28, 1865.

28

Jan 5 1864

May 6 1865

Bush Napoleon B . .

27

Feb 10 1865

June 28 1865

18

Dec 11 1863

June 28 1865

Carty Michael . . .

19

Sept 21 1864

July 1 1865

27

Nov 1 1863

June °8 1865.

Chambers Chas H

18

Aug 15 1864

June I9 1865

23

Dec 18 1864

June ' 1865

20

Aug 8 1864

June 28 1865

°7

Dec 5 1864

June 28, 1866.

Elliot Warner C

21

Feb 10 1865

June 28 1865

Estes ' Geo R . !

18

Dec 19 1864

June 28, 1865*

20

Dec 19 1863

||Oct 19 1864

28

Sept 13 1864

June 1 1865

Fisher Alfred B . .

32

Dec ' 3* 1863

June 29 1865

42

Jan 1 1864

June °8 1865

Geer Thomas L . .

36

Aug 12* 1864

*Dec 15 1864

Gould Edwin

;

22

Feb 23 1865

June 28 1865

Hayes Edgar

18

Aug 5 1864

June 1 1865

Hendee Beni F

26

Dec 9 1863

June 28 1865

Holden ' Geo. H '.

18

Feb 10 1865

June 28 1865

Hooker Edward T

26

Dec 7 1863

June 98 1865

Hurley Michael

Dec 26 1863

June 28 1865

27

Dec 11 1863

June 28 1865

40

Nov 28 1863

*June 10 1864

King Edward .

23

Dec 6 1862

$Dec. 24 1862

25

Jan 5 1864

*Dec 31 1864

Lawrence Seth

23

Dec. 25 1863.

June 28 186.5.

36

Feb 13 1865

June 28, 186")

41

Feb 7 1865

June 28 1865

Mitchell Zeb

45

Dec 10 1863

May 6, 1865

Mix DeEstaing S

19

Dec 12 1863

June 28 1865

Mix' Victor B

18

Dec 22 1863

Juno 2^ 1865

*Died of disease, t Killed in battle. ^Deserted. §Died of wounds. |] Killed at Cedar Creek.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.

289

COMPANY A. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Morse Orson .

44

39
20
34
24
34
18
20
28
26
38
24
33
10
21
34
18

Jan. 5, 1864.
Dec. 21, 1863.
Dec. 28, 1863.
Dec. 19, 1863.
Aug. 19, 1864.
Feb. 13, 1865.
Aug. 15, 1864.
March 17, 1865.
Nov. 24, 1863.
Dec. 31, 1863.
March 17, 1865.
Feb. 10, 1865.
Dec. 11, 1863.
Dec. 28, 1863.
Jan. 5, 1864.
May 27, 1862.
Dec. 19, 1863.

*March5, 1865.
JApr. 23, 1865.
June 28,1865.
May 6, 1 865.
June 28,1865.
June 28,1865.
May 13, 1865.
$May 18,1865.
$Aug. 8,1864.
tJuly 14,1864.
tMay 18, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
July 7, 1865.
Jan. 2, 1866.
June 28, 1865.

Palmer, William H . . . .
Prince. Daniel
Randall, Elisha N ....
Russell, Lorenzo
Shepard, Aliston E ....
Smith Weston

Snelling Geo W

Snelling Asa E .

Stuart, Luther
Van Guilder, Frederic . . .
Waldron, Daniel G . . .
Welch, Richard
Wells John H

.

Wenshualer, Vincent . . .
Whitcomb, Erwin T . . . .

Total
Aggregate . . .

56
157

COMPANY B, DERBY LINE.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Commission.

Date of
Discharge.

Capt.,Gb&a. B. Child . . .
1st Lieut., Stephen F. Spalding
2d Lieut., Fred D. Butterneld

Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....

35

22
23

Dec. 19, 1861.
Dec. 19, 1861.
Dec. 19, 1861.

Oct. 21, 1863.
||June 14, 1863.
July 22, 1864.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

SERGEANTS.
1st, John Bisbee
Wm. H. Spencer
Geo. Collier

Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....

Charleston . . .
Holland ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Holland ....
Derby ....

Derby ....
Albany ....

Derby ....

Derby ....
Hatlt>y, Ca . . .
Calais . . .

25
32
25
22
25

20
22
20
26
24
24
20
23

57
20

25

43
19
21
19
19
18
19

Nov. 22,1861.
Nov. 30, 1861.
Nov. 21,1861.
Nov. 25, 1861.
Nov. 22, 1861.

Dec. 2. 1861.
Nov. 22, 1861.
Nov. 25, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Nov. 25, 1861.
Nov. 25, 1861.
Nov. 28, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.

Nov. 26, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1SG1

Dec. 14, :861.

Nov. 26, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 31, 1861.
Jan. 6, 1862.
Dec. 3, 1861.
Nov. 22, 1861.
Dec. 12, 1861.

June 28, 1865.
March 9, 1865.
June 22,1864.
«IFeb. 17, 1863.
Aug. 12, 1862.

*July 23, 1862.
Jan. 8, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
11 Aug. 1865.
June 28, 1865.
J March 7, 1862.
*Aug. 9, 1863.
June 22.1864.

«TJuly 12, 1863.
J uiie 22, 1864.

IMay 14, 1863.

Sept. 29, 1863.
*Oct. 28, 1863.
t June 14, 1863.
§.Fune28, 1865.
*May 22, 1863.
$May 18, 1864.
June 22,1864.

James A. Mathews ....
Hiram Moon, Jr . . .

CORPORALS.
Benjamin B. Lunt ....
Moses W. Farr ... .

Henry H Holt

AsaB Moran ... . .

Chas. E. Musk
Nathaniel A. Piper ....
Chas. P. Church

MUSICIANS.
Isaac Blake
Oramel H. Putnam ....

WAGONER.
Jas. H. Hill

PRIVATES.
Aldrich, Elisha
Bacon, Elias. .

Bancroft, Horace D . . . .
Barabv, Joseph . . .

Burlington . . .
Charleston . . .
Stanstead, Ca . .
Barnaton, Ca . .

Barnard, Francis B ....
Barnes, Carlos J

Uarnes, Geo. W . . . .

*Died of disease. tKilled in battle, t Deserted. § Wounded in head at Port Hudson June 14,
1863. yKilled at Port Hudson. ^Discharged for promotion. IShot by Private John O'Mere.

19

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

COMPANY B. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Barrett, Chas. S
Batley Robert

Derby ....
Sherbrooke, Ca .
Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Salem ....
Holland ....
Derby ....
Holland ....
Derby ....
Charleston . . .
Derby ....

Morgan ....
Charleston . . .
Morgan ....
Derby ....
Newport ....
Holland ....
Derby ....
Salem ....
Augusta, Maine .
Coventry . . .
Barnston, Ca . .
Barnston, Ca . .
New Orleans, La
Derby ....
Charleston . . .
Derby ....
Derby ....
Sherbrooke, Ca .
Derby ....
Barnston, Ca . .
Holland ....
Holland ....

Orford.Ca . . .
Barnston, Ca . .
Salem ....
Holland ....
Albany ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Stanstead, Ca . .
Derby ....
Wick'ham, Ca . .
Derby ....
Holland ....
Holland

20
25
28
18
1!)
33
18
22
25
23
24
28
19
20
35
18
20
23
19
24
20
20
22
20
18
25
27
44
19
26
18
22
19
20
21
23
25
19
26
19
21
38
28
24
20
23
18
30
18
24
24
35
34
39
27
26
32
26
25
31
19
24
27
44 '
18
21

Nov. 30, 1861.
Dec. 12, 1861.
Nov. 25, 1861.
Jan. 10, 1862.
Jan. 1, 1862.
Nov. 25, 1861.
Dec. 9,1861.
Nov. 22, 1861.
Jan. 1, 1862.
Dec. 12, 1861.
Dec. 9,1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Nov. 29, 1861.
Feb. 1, 1862.
Dec. 5, 1861.
Nov. 30, 1861.
Dec. 14,1861.
Dec. 14, 1861.
Dec. 14, 1861.
Nov. 28, 1861.
Nov. 25, 1861.
Nov. 30, 1861.
Dec. 21, 1861.
Dec. 14, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Jan. 14, 1862.
Jan. 20, 1862.
Nov. 26, 1861.
Dec. 5, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Nov. 23, 1861.
Nov. 26, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 16, 1861.
Dec. 16, 1861.
Dec. 16, 1861.
Jan. 6, 1862.
Jan. 27, 1862.
Dec. 12, 1861.
Dec. 3, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Nov. 25, 1861.
Jan. 27, 1862.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 18, 1861.
Dec. 12, 1861.
Dec. 4, 1861.
Nov. 22,1861.
Nov. 25, 1861.
Dec. v 30, 1861.
Dec. 12, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 4, 1861.
Dec. 27, 1861.
Nov. 30, 1861.
Dec. 7, 1861.
Nov. 30, 1861.
Jan, 8, 1862.
Nov. 22, 1861.
Dec. 30, 1861.
Dec. 12, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.

June 28, 1865.
Feb. 10, 1863.
June 22, 1864.
§Oct. 10, 1864.
Tr. Inv. corps.
June 22, 1864.
*Aug. 7, 1862.
May 18, 1865.
t June 14, 1S63.
Not known.
June 22, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
JMay 18,1864.
jMay 18, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
May 30, 1865.
lAprillO, 1864.
|| June 14, 1863.
June 22,1864.
June 22, 1864.
Aug. 5, 1863.
Dec. 28, 1863.
JMay 18, 1864.
Aug. 12, 1862.
Aug. 5, 1863.
$Dec. 21, 1862.
Aug. 12, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
tMarch 1, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
*Aug. 17, 1862.
*July 9, 1862.
|| June 20, 1863.
June 22,1864.
June 22, 186-4.'
jMay 18, 1864.
June 22,1864.
June 22, 1864.
|| June 14, 1863.
June 28, 1865.
June 27,1863.
IMar. 15, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
*Sept. 19, 1862.
$May 1864.
2 June 27, 1864.
June 22,1864.
No record.
June 22,1864.
Feb. 17, 1863.
March 9,1863.
jMay 14, 1863.
June 22,1864.
* June 13, 1863.
June 22,1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 14,1863.
June 28, 1865.
jMay 18, 186-t.
June 22,1864.
IFeb. 27, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
t March 7, 1862.

Bavenean, Lucius . . . .'
Belville Edward . . .

Belville Joseph

Blake Lewis O .

Bodett Peter

Brooks, Orville 11
Brown, Geo. W
Brown, Samuel B . . . .
Carpenter, Edward L . . .
Cass Hollis H . . .

Clair John

Cowing, Emerson D . . . .
Cunningham, Wm ....

Farewell, Jason C . . . .
Ferrin Chester M .

Foss Henry M

Fox John . .

Gould, Ernest
Gould, Henry .'....
Graves, Henry

Hadlock James . .

Haley John . .

Halladay, WilbertE. . . .
Hark ness, Richard ....
Henry Wm H

Hill Titus

Horn Samuel O

House, Chas D . .

Howes Jas H

Kenney, Alfred J
La Bonta Alfred .

Lee, Wm. S

Livingston. Wheaton, Jr . .
Lunt, Aaron li
Lunt, AsaB

McGee, Thomas
McKenzie, Andrew ....
McKiver, Andrew ....
Mosher, Levi
Moon, Elish D
Mooney, Edward D . . . .

Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Derby ....
Charleston . . .
StansttMd, Ca . .
Charleston . . .
Troy

O'Mere John .

Page Thomas W

Parlin Abel A ...

Parsons, Walter W . . . .
Patrick, Franklin
Pettengill. Hollis F . . . .
Porter William . . .

Robinson, John R
Sheldon, Minor L

Holland ....
Derby ....
Holland ....
Newport ....

Smith, James
Smith, John C

Stephens, Francis W . . .

*Died of disease. tKilled in battle. ^Deserted. § Died of wounds received Sept. 19, 1864.
UKilled at Port Hudson. IT Discharged for promotion. ITransferred. 2Drowned.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.

291

COMPANY B. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Hatley, Ca

19

Dec. 2,1861

June 28, 1865.

Tinker. William A ....
Tucker, John B
Turner, Abel D
Turner Chas. W ...

Whitingham . .
Oribrd, Ca . . .
Troy . . .

22
23
44
19

Nov. 21, 1861.
Dec. 30, 1861.
Dec. 14,1861.
Dec. 7, 1861.

Aug. 17, 1863.
No date.
June 22, 1864.
*July 25, 1862.

Warren, Geo. J
Warren, Myron P ....
Wtwhbuin, Harvey D . . .
Wells, Alfred

Stanstead, Ca . .
Charleston . . .
Hatley, Ca . . .
Derby ....

18
18
18
22

Dec. 18, 1861.
Dec. 16, 1861.
J'ec. 9,1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.

JMay 17, 1865.
§Nov. 11,1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1864.

Wheeler, Chas
Woodward, Wm. F . . . .

Holland ....
Holland ....

20
29

Jan. 20, 1862.
Dec. 12, 1861.

June 22, 1864.
Oct. 19, 1862.

RECRUITS.
Allyn, Paschal W . .

Total ....

•

103

18

Nov 11 1863

*Dec 24, 1864.

Atherton, John ....

31

Dec 26, 1863.

May 24, 1865.

Aldrich Chas W

19

March 20 1865

June 28, 1865.

21

Jan 24 1865

June 28 1865.

Baker Silas . .

20

Dec 21 1863

|| Feb. 21,1865.

Bartlett, John 11 ....

18

Feb 10, 1865.

May 18, 1865.

Bates Geo C

23

March 1 1862.

Sept 19 1863.

Berry, Richard . ...

39

Dec 9, 1863.

*May 23, 1864.

Bigelow Jas S . .

24

Jan 2 1864

•fOct 19 1864.

00

Dec °6 1863

tOct 19 1864

25

Feb 10 1865

June 28 1865

Bombard Alonzo H .

26

March 18, 1865.

*May 24, 1865.

10

Jan 26 1864

July 7. 1865.

Briggs, Eli S . .

24

Dec. 29, 1863.

June 28, 1865.

Burt Marshall J

21

Feb 11 1865

June 28 1865.

Burton John C ...

18

Feb 7, 1865.

June 28, 1865.

22

Feb 21 1865

June 28, 1865

Carpenter, Isaac . .

39

Feb 17, 1865

June 14, 1865.

Carpenter Jedediah

18

Feb 10 1865

June 28 1865.

Carr, John
Clark Stephen E

23
23

Feb. 11, 1865.
March 21 1865

June 28, 1865.
June 28 1865

Clark, 'Thomas
Cook Chas P

43
19

Dec. 23, 1863.
Feb 28 1865

June 28,1865.
June 28 1865

Grossman Lowell M

18

Feb 14, 1865

June 28, 1865.

2'}

Dec 23 1863

June 98 1865

Derby' Wm R

18

Aug 23*, 1864

June 1,1865.

21

March 21 1865

June 28 1865

21

Feb 21 1865

June 28 1865

Fadden Wm J

20

Dec 23 1863

tOet 1'» 1864

Fairbanks Freeman A .

21

Jan 5, 1864

*Mar. 30 1864.

Fecette Frank

23

March 7 1865

July 15, 1865.

Fleming John .

21

Feb 28 1865.

June 28 1F65.

18

Feb 28 1865

June 28 1865.

Foster Harvey.

18

Feb 15 1865

June 28, 1865.

French Elisha

44

Dec 2<1 1863

June 12 1865.

Gladden Willard S

27

Dec 20 1863

June °8 1865

Gonchchoe, Francis E

20

March 21 18(>5

June 28 1865

Gray, Aaron H

26

Dec 9 1863

June 28 1865.

Gray, Orin

36

Dec 20 1 863

*June 6, 1864

Green Tyler M *

44

March 10 1865

June 28 1865

Griffin, Geo E

33

July 29 1862

June 11 1865.

20

Sept 8 186'*

June 24 1865

Hill, Stephen
Judd Chas A

18
31

Feb. 16, 1865.
Feb 16 1865

June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865

Kenyon, Henry R . . . .
Kenyon Orlin J

20
21

Feb. 14, 1865.
Feb 14 1865

June 28, 1865.
June 28 1865

32

Feb 11 1865

May ll> 1865

Lambert. Michael

25

Dec 7 1863

May 15 1865

26

March. 8 1865

June 98* 1865

Liberty, Thomas .

27

Feb 22 1865

June 28 1865

Mack John

26

Feb 2"* 1865

June 28 180 >

*Died of disease. tKilled in battle. $Sent to Clinton Prison. §Died of wounds received
Oct. 19, 1864. [[Transferred.

2Q2

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

COMPANY B. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

•

Date of
Discharge.

Martin, Nelson
McAulifte, John
Miner Joseph

18
22
19
20
21
21
18
27
25
19
27
21
18
23»
19
20
37
18
27
21
22
19
19
19
41
35

Feb. 18, 1865.
March 1, 1865.
May 11,1864.
Dec. 30, 1863.
Dec. 7, 1863.
April 11, 1865.
Feb. 13, 1865
March 7, 1865.
March 18, 1865.
Feb. 11, 1865.
Feb. 11,1865.
Jan. 24, 1865.
Dec. 23, 1863.
Dec. 26, 1863.
Dec. 14, 1863.
March 7, 1865.
Jan. 1, 1864.
March 8, 1865.
Dec. 19, 1863.
Feb. 15, 1865.
Feb. 17, 1865.
Feb. 8, 1865.
Feb. 10, 1 65.
Feb. 16, 1*65.
Dec. 29, 1863.
Dec. 15, 1863.

June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
tDec. 27,1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 186T>.
June 28, 1865.
July 15, 1865.
J une 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
*Mar. 26, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
Aug. 2, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
May 23, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28,1865.
June 28,1865.

Murphy, David
Murphy, Patrick . '. . . .
Paul Jason B .

Pallady, John

Place, Emerson It ....
Place Rufus A

Reed Winslow T

Rice Daniel M

Stafford Isaac B

Staples, Frank C
Streeter, Joseph J . . . .
Thompson, Payson T . . .
Tilley David O

West 'E/ekiel

Wheelock, Frank ....
Willard, Lucius H . . . .

.

Total
Aggregate . , .

77
180

COMPANY C, ST. JOHNSBURY.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Commission.

Date of
Discharge.

Ca.pt., Henry E. Foster . .
\stLwut., Edward B. Wright
'2d Lieut Frederick J Fuller

Waitsfield . . .
Bradford . . .
Trov

20
30

Dec. 23, 1861.
Dec. 23, 1*61.
Dec. 23, 1861.

jAug. 15, 1863.
JJune 6. 1862.
§June 2, 1863.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

SERGEANTS.
1st., Albert E. Page .
Benjamin Waldron .
Henry C. Abbott ...
Sumner W. Lewis
Augustine P. Hawley

CORPORALS.

Newbury .
Newbury .
Montpelier .
West Concord
Passumpsic

St Johnsbury

21
44
30
32

26

21

Dec. 4,1861.
Nov. 26, 1861.
Nov. 19,1861.
Dec. 4, 1861.
Nov. 27, 1861.

Nov. 30, 1861.

Aug. 11, 1863.
*Mar. 29, 1863.
Sept. 1,1862.
Sept. 16, 1863.
Sept. 27, 1863.

June 22, 1864.

John A Riplev

St Johnsbury .

25

Nov. 30,1861.

June 28, 1865.

Eben C Goodell . ...

Barnett ....

22

Nov. 28,1861.

July 16, 1862.

Lewis R Titus

Jay

25

Nov. 28, 1*61.

Feb. 28, 1863.

Orange S Lynn

St. Johnsbury

19

Dec. 2, 1861.

* June 18, 1863.

William K. Crosby ....
Elijah K Prouty

Waterford . . .
Newbury . . .

21
26

Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 13, 1861.

Aug. 1862.
Oct. 1, 1862.

David N Brill

Troy

44

Dec 4, 1861.

*Aug. 28, 1863.

MUSICIANS.

St. Johnsbury

25

Dec. 4, 1861.

June 28,1865.

Parker J. Noyes

Newbury . . .

20

Dec. 4, 1»61.

Oct. 17, 1863.

*Died of disease. tDeserted. ^Resigned. §Dismissed.

ORIGINAL ROSTER,
COMPANY C. — Continued.

293

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

WAGONER.
William D. Atwood ....

PRIVATKS.
Adams, John ......
Adams, Newell H. H ...
Aniiis, Nathaniel E . . . .
Bailey Geo E ...

Newbury . . .

Danville . . .
Newport . . .
Passumpsic . .
Troy

41

18
20
19
18

Dec. 11,1861.

Dec. 21, 1861.
Dec. 8, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec 10 1861

Bailey' Geo W .

Troy

24

Dec 14 1861

Bailey Joseph S . .

Troy

29

Dec" 4' 1861

Richmond .

20

Nov 20 1861

Waterford . . .

30

Dec 14 1861

Bedard Ezra

Danville . . .

20

Dec 14 1861

Bonnet t Jas K. • . .

Waterford . . .

18

Dec 16 1861

Boodry, Cbas
Boodry C'ha*. D

Richmond . . .
Richmond . .

18
39

Nov. 26, 1861.
Nov 22 1861

Richmond .

20

Dec ' 1 1861

Chamberlin, Lawrence K . .

Passumpsic . .
Troy . . .

21

24

Nov. 28,1861.
Dec 4 1861

18

Jan 12 1862

Jay

20

Nov 28 1861

Clough Judson ....

Williamstown

24

Nov 19 1861

20

Dec 7 1861

Crane Henry A ....

Danville ....

22

Nov 16 1861

Cushman, Francis C . . . .

St. Johnsbury
Newbury . .

18
18

Dec. 5, 1861.
Dec. 16 1861

Dean, Asahel M. F . . . .

St. Johnsbury
Troy . . . .

22
24

Dec 4, 186l'.
Nov 28 1861

St. Johnsbury

25

Dec 4 1861

Eaton, Charles
Elkins Riley A . .

Richmond . . .
Troy

18
23

Nov. 20, 1861.
Dec 18 1861

Weils River . .

18

Nov. 22, 1861

Goodell Geo C . . . .

Barnet .

26

Nov 28 1861

George 'David N"

Troy . .

28

Dec 2 1 86 1

Hadlock, Geo. W

Jay

St. Johnsbury

18
24

Dec. 10, 1861.
Dec 11, 1861.

Hammond Orange E

Troy ....

18

]»ec 2 1861

St. Johnsbury

22

Dec. 14 1861.

Hardy Chas E

Trov .

18

Dec 4 1861

Haaelton Geo. H

18

March 5 1862.

Haskins Leonard

Richmond

21

Nov 21 1861

Hayward, Oscar F ....
Herriman. Turrill E . . . .
Hill William

St. Johnsbury .
St. Johnsbury
Troy .

19
18
21

Dec. 5, 18G1.
Dec. 31, 1861.
Dec 18 1861

Hou'ghton, Silas
Hubbard, James
Hyn Walter J . .

Danville ....
Burke ....

18
34
44

Dec! 2', 1861.
Jan. 1, 1862.
Dec 6 1861

«Iay 'Nathan P . .

St. Johnsbury

23

Dec 6 1861

Jones Wm. H

Wheelock . .

25

Dec 4 1861

Trov . .

31

Nov 29 1861

Newbury

36

Nov 27 1861

Kennedy Hoiace W

Troy . .

19

Jan 28 186°

Kiser Hiram S

Albany ....

34

Dec 24 1861

St. Johnsbury

19

Dec 31 1861

Troy .

20

Nov 28 1861

Leavitt, Nehemiah ....
Marchand Felix

Warren ....

21
26

Nov.' 21 \ 1861 !
Jan 1 186°

McFarland, Wm. H . . . .

St . Johnsbury .

20
35

Feb. 14, 1862.
Jan 28 1 862

McNab Carlos

Mclndoe's Falls

18

Dec 26 1861

Miller John

Troy .

19

Nov 29 1>>61

Montret, Adolphe
Morse, Robt. C ...

Richmond . . .
Barnet . . .

18
18

Dec. 6, 1861.
Dec 14 1.-61

Newman, Chas. A ....

Barnet ....
Newbury

18
26

Dec. 14, 1*61.
Dec 1 is 61

Noyes John W .

Columbia N H

23

Dec 26 IsCl

Date of
Discharge.

June 22,1864.

*July 1, 1864.

t

July 16, 1862.
Feb. 28, 1863.
JJuly 22,1862.
June 22, 1864.
June 28,1865.
June 22,1864.
tMay 1863.
June 28, 1865.
§May 1H, 1864.
||Oct. 1, 1864.
§May 18,1864.
Aug. 1862.

f Sept. 4, 1862.
$Nov. 1, 1863.
JJuly 23, 11-62.
June 22,1864.
Uune 22, 1864.
June 22,1864.
June 28,1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 22,1864.
June 22, 1864.
June 22, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
J June 25, 1863.
June 22, 1864.
2May 27, 1863.
June 22, 1864.
July 16, 1862.
July 16, 1862.
July 16, 1862.
June 22, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
JJuly 21, 1862.
jNov. 11, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
JAug. 17, 1862.
July 16, 1862.
June 22, 1864.
§Mar. 11, 1862.
3Nov. 1864.
June 22, 1864.
June 22, 1864.
2June 14, 1863.
*Feb. 28, 1863.
$Date not rec.
June 22, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
Sept. 4, 1863.
2June 17, 1863.
4June 22, 1864.
JJune 3, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
5 Mar. 24, 1864.
5Dec. 31, 1862.
t June 28, 1863.

*Promoted ; date of discharge not given. tMustered out at Bratlleboro, Vt. $ Died of
disease. §Deserted. HSick in General Hospital. ^Killed in battle. ISick in New Orleans.
2Killed at Port Hudson. SDied at Salisbury, N. C. 4Sick in Canada. 5Transferred.

294

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

COMPANY C. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

Date of
Discnarge.

Troy ....

24

Dec. 16 1861.

June 22 1864

Potwin, Napoleon ....
Perigo, Harvey G
Pettee Jacob L . . .

S wanton. . . .
St. Juhusbury .
Trov

18
21
37

Nov. 20, 1*01.
Dec. 5,1861.
Dec 4 1*61

June 28, 1,*65.
June 22, 1864.
*July 6 1863

Pettee, William T ....

30

Dec. 4, 1*61.

t-June 14 1863

Pinanl Jovite . . .

St. Johnsburv .

20

Dec fi, 1*61

June 2X 1865

Prisby Hollis W ...

Littleton N H

18

Dec 27 1861

*Au<r 23 18f.3

Putnam, Cornelius H . . .
Read George It • .

Huntington . .

23
29

Dec. 9, 1861.
Nov 19 1*61

June 28,1865.
July 16 1862

Root, Cyrus S
Rosebush, Martin
Scott, Nathan W
Severance, Henry V ....
Skinner, Levi W

Sheffield. . . .
St Johnsbury . .
Newport . . .
St. Johnsbury

19
18
21
21
19

Jan. 27, 1*62.
Dec. 10,1861.
Dec. 6, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec. 26, 1*61.

tNov. 14,' 1864.'
*.Iuly 5,1863.
§May 18,1864.
J une 28, 1865.
June 28 1865.

Smith Henry L . .

Newport . .

23

Dec. 18 1S61

June 22 1864

Spencer Loren H , .

10

Dec 13 1861

June 2* 1865

Swinger, Lawrence ....
Upton, John T
Waldron, John M ....
Whipple, Hiram L . . . .
Wil.-ox, Martin H . . . .
Williams, Ransom W . . .
Winslow, Loren P . . . .

Huntington . .

Newbury . . .
Concord ....
St. Johnsbury
Troy
Waterford . . .

26
22
18
19
22
30
32

Jan. 1, 1862.
Dec. G, 1*61.
Dec. 3, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1X61.
Jan. 28, 1*62.
Dec. 4,1*61.
Dec. 23, 1861.

II Nov. 26, 1864.
Julv 16,1862.
June 28,1865.
11 Feb. 28,1863.
June 28,1865.
June 22,1864.
July 16,1862.

RECRUITS.
Allen Wyman H

Total

104
°4

Feb 7 1865

Jane 2^ 1865

18

Dec 26* 1*63

.1 une 28 1865

.Benedict Tabor

18

Auw 23* 1864

June 1 1865

Bonett Dallas R

18

Sept 9 1864

June 1 1S65

Boneit, SewallH

22
18

Jan. 18, 1S64.
Au<* 18 1*64

June 28, 1865.
June 1 1865

Bullion Geo H

22

Jufy 22* 1861

$.Jnne 28 1865

2()

J >ec 29 1 864

|\Iar 18 1865

18

July 2* 1*69

May 28 1863

Carrick Joliii

45

Sept I9 1864

June 1, 1865

39

Dec 31 1*63

*Aug I9 1864

33

Sept 10 1864

June 1 1865

93

Jan 1 1*64

J une 28 1865

Collins Charles

31

Sept 3 l.*6l>

|| Feb 11 1865

Jan 5 1*64

IJune 28 1865

Dalton Flavins J

28

March 17 1865

June 28* 1865

21

Dec 26 1*63

June 28 1865

Dow Parker S

10

A ug. 6 1 864

June 1 1865

18

Dec 8 1861

*Mar 31 1864

18

Oct 2l' 1863

June 28 1865

r-ato i , e i y

March 1 1*6*5

-Frelv Thorna< H

''1

Jan I9 1865

June 2* 18t>5

18

Dec 21 1863

June 28 1865

34

Dec 29 1863

*Sept 16 1864

<>o

Dec 10 1863

June 28 1865

Gammell, John A. P ...
Goodell John V

21
°1

Aug. 31, 1864.
Aug 31 1864

June 1, 1865.
2 Nov 18 1864

i8

Dec 23 1863

II July "4 1864

18

Nov 30 186''

*July 16 1864

vreo t;e, do. epn . • •

18

Dec 18 1*63

June 98 1865

ilarrin..t«>n, Liuvin L, . . .

"5

March 24 1865

June 28 1865

3 '.^.a I/1 ' ',• Vcr*

18

Dec 8 1863

June 28 1865

Henthon, Thomas ....

39
18

Jan. 6, 1865.
Feb 15 1865

June 28, 1865.
June 28 1865

Judd William

42

March 6 1865

June 28 1865

94

Dec 10 1*63

June 28* 1865

T pifh William

''1

Dec 2* 1*63

2Oct 10 1864

Longevine, Isaac . ...

39

March 13, 1865.
Dec 19 1863

July 1,1865.
June 28 1865

ais on, eo

*Died of disease, t Killed at Port Hudson. tDied of wounds received in action. § Deserted.
UTransferred. ^Promoted. IColored cook mustered out. 21>ied of wounds received at Cedar
Creek, Oct. 19.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.
COMPANY C. — Continued.

295

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

19

Dec. 30 1863.

June 28 1865

McCol ley, James .

27

March 3 1*65.

* A prill 5, 1865.

Me Leon Win H

20

Feb. 15, 1865.

June '2* 1865.

Meader Clias. H . . .

29

Dec. 28, 1863.

Jan. 29, 1865.

Mizer Francis

19

Dec. 26 1863.

June 28 1865

29

March 22 1865

June 28 1865

Norton, John W

24

Nov 11, 1863.

June 28 1865

Pa ore Oscar

18

Jan 4 1864.

June 28 1865

Page, Albert E

32

Dec. 8, 1863

*May 20 1864.

19

May 19 1864

tNov 4 1864

Prins Lewis

19

March 25, 1864.

July 15, 1865

Rich James D

29

Dec 24 1863

Nov 20 1864

Scribner, Benj. F

41
19

Sept. 3, 1863.
Dec 7 1863

June 1, 1865.
June 28 1865

Shatnpeau, Peter . .

23

Feb 9 1865.

June 28, 1865.

Simons, Orin ....

22

Dec 22, 1863.

June 28, 1865.

Smith, Geo. W

27

22

Dec. 28, 1863.
Dec 27 1864

June 28,1865.
June 28 1865

Smith, Willard G . .

26

Dec 29 1863

June 28, 1865.

Stamps Geo W .

3G

Jan 30 1863

t June 28 1865

Stebbins, Chas. H . .

18

Dec 23, 1863.

June 28 1865

22

Dec 30 1864

June 28 1865

Stevens, Hiram . .

41

Feb 13, 1865

June 28 1865.

Sturgeon Robert .

18

Dec 29 1>63

June 28 1865

Talbot David . .

34

Jan. 13, ls65

June 28* 1865

Thompson AmasaF

1<)

Feb 7 1 > 65

June 28 1865

Trainor Peter

2°

Feb 18 1865

June 28 1865

Webster Daniel G

24

A tig 15 1864

June 6 186r)

Well«> Horace A

I']

Jan 4 1864

§ July 22 1864

White, Chas A

21

Aug 30 1*64.

J une 1 1865

White John

22

July 22 1864

1 Sept 3 1864

Wiswell, John C

18

March 30 1S65."

June 28 1865

Woods, Lemuel N

42

Dec 10 1863

June 28 1865

Woodward, Sylvester

43

Nov. 27, 1863

May 18, 1865.

TVal
Aggregate . . .

73
177

COMPANY D, BRADFORD.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Commission.

Dnte of
Discharge.

Capt., Cyrus B. Leach . . .
1st Lieut., Alfred E. Getchell
2d Lieut., Darius G. Child .

Bradford . . .
Bradford . . .
Fairlee ....

31
37
26

Dec. 28, 1861.
Dec. 28, 1861.
Dec. 28, 1861.

June 22,1864.
Feb. 26, 1S65.
H July 20, 1862.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

SERGEANTS.
1st, Dennis Buckley . . .
Phineas S. Palmer ....
Nathaniel Robie
Jacob B. Sawver
Edward F. Gould. . . .

Bradford . . .
Thett'ord . . .
Bradford . . .
Topsham . . .

26
27
26
34
20

Nov. 2, 1801.
Dec. 17, 1861.
Nov. 22, 1>61.
Dec. 7,1861.

1TDec. 7, 1863.
July 20,1863.
IDec. 6,1864.
May 4, 1863.
June 28 1865

CORPORALS.
Albert D. Heath

2^

Dec 2 1^61

Feb 1^ 1862

Andrew J. Young ....

Topsham . . .

27

Dec. 4, 1S61.

t-\lar. 1,1862.

*Died of disease. tDeserted. jColored cook mustered out. ^Transferred.
Algiers, La. ^Cashiered. lDied,at St. Johnsbury, Vt.

[Died at

296

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY I). — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

•

Date of
Discharge.

William S. Peabody . . . .
Edwin R. Corliss

Topsham . . .
East Corinth .

22
28

Deo. 4, 1861.
Dec 16 1861

*
July 7 1863

Wm. H. H. Gilmore ....
Wra F Peters

Fairlee ....
Bradford

22
30

Dec. 7, 1861.

Chas. W. Woodbury ....
Edwin P. Garland ....

MUSICIAN.
Ira I. Ingram

Bradford . . .
Topsham . . .

Topsham . .

28
21

18

Dec. 4, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.

Dec 2 1861

tMar. 22, 1863.
tMar. 4, 1864.

June °8 1865

WAGONER.
Freeman F. Fleming . . .

PRIVATES.
Andross, Noble ....

Bradford . . .
Bradford . . .

28
45

Dec. 4, 1861.
Nov. 20 1861

June 28, 1865.
tJune 92 1864

Aoistin, Geo. H . .

Bradford . . .

18

Dec 7 1861

June 28* 1865

Avery Geo W

20

Dec 13* 1861

t June 28* 1862

Avery, Sylvester H . . . .

Topsham . . .
Stratford

29
34

Dec. 11J1861.
Dec 17 1861

tJune 3,' 1863.'
June 28 1865

Baldwin, Absalom ....
Barber, Alpheus P . . . .
Barber Chas. S

Bradford . . .
West Fairlee . .
West Fairlee . .

18
22
21

Nov. 25,' 1861.'
Dec. 6, 1861.
Dec ° 1861

June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
tFeb 26 1865

Vershire .

23

Dec 13 1861

June 28* 1865

Barstow, Russell A ....
Bliss Wra C

Yershire. . . .
Bradford .

21
30

Dec. 30, 1861.
Nov 22 1861

July 7, 1865.
§April<>5 1865

Newbury . . .

40

Jan 9* 1862

July 5 1863

Brown Mills O

West Fairlee

25 •

Nov 27 1861

June 22 1864

Bugbee, Edmond
Butterfield, Henry. Jr . . .
Child, Lewis
Clark, John F .

Washington . .
Topsham . . .

Strafford . . .

19
18
23
19

Dec. 13, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 7, 1861.
Dec. 17, 1861.

II Aug. 1,1862.
Way 27, 1863.
June 30, 1865.
June 22 1864

Colby, Russell D . . .

West Fairlee . .

18

Dec 17 1861

Oct 22 1863

Corliss Wm H

East Corinth

20

Dec 6 1861

July 24 1863

Daniels Oscar B

Peacham . . .

25

Jan 7 1862.

June 28* 1865.

Dickey, Thomas W . . . .
Dow Francis R

Topsham . . .
Stafford ....

26
18

Dec. 13, 1861.
Dec. 23 1861

Oct. 15, 1862.
Oct. 17 1862.

Dow, Geo. H . .

Bradford . . .

19

Jan. 1, 1862.

May 22, 1865.

Eastman, Harmon W . . .
Emerson, Horace P ....
Emery, Asa S . . . .

Topsham . . .
East Corinth . .
Groton ....

23
18
21

Dec. 4, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec 7, 1861

tAprillO, 1863.
June 28, 1865.
June 22 1864.

Emery Chas G

Groton . . •

18

Jan. 9 1862

June 28 1865

Foot Dennis W

Thetford . . .

19

Dec 19, 1861.

tNov. 27 1862.

Foster Fzekiel .

Topsham .

35

Jan 7 1862

tDec. 20 1862

Gelo, Moses
Hammond, Gilman S . . .
Haskins Wm. H .

Bradford . . .
Fairlee ....
Bradford . . .

24
21
39

Nov. 21,1861.
Dec. 17, 1861.
Nov. 21, 1861.

June 28, 1865.
Sept. 4, 1862.
June 28, 1865.

Haynes, Edward W . . . .
Hayward, Putnam ....
Jenkins, Mason B . . . .
Jenkins, Thomas J . . . .
Johnson, Eben E

Brattleboro . .
Topsham . . .
Fairlee ....
Fairlee ....
Topsham . . .
Fairlee ....

18
21
26
35
21
37

Feb. 6, 1862.
Dec. 24, 1861.
Dec. 26, 1861.
Dec. 16, 1861.
Dec. 4, 1861.
Dec. 7, 1861.

June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
Oct. 5, 1863.
Sept. 27,1863.
tDec. 1863.
June 28, 1865.

Kennedy, Geo. E
Lafkin, Jonathan C . . . .
Lahas Norbit . .

Bradford . . .
Bradford . . .
Bradford . . .

25
44
20

Dec. 17, 1861.
Dec. 7, 1861.
Dec. 6, 1861.

June 22, 1864.
March 28, 1863.
II May 18,1864.

Bradford . . .

32

Dec 16 1861

June 28, 1865

Lamb Chas S . . . .

Ryegate ....

18

Dec. 17, 1861.

t April 21, 1862.

Bradford . .

28

Dec 7, 1861

Deserted.

Liscom.'john E
Mann, Stephen H . . . .
Martin, Chester
Meder Horace E ...

Corinth ....
Fairlee ....
Bradford . . .
Newbury . .

20
25
18
18

Dec. 6; 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Nov. 27, 1861.
Jan. 9, 1862.

tNov. 24, 1862.
June 28^1865.
June 28, 1865.
tMar. 25, 1863.

Bradford . . .

41

Nov. 22, 1861.

June 28, 1865.

Mills, Jacob, Jr
Morrison, Geo. W . . . .
Morrison Hiram . .

Topsham . . .
Newbury . . .
Newbury . .

19
20
18

Dec. 14, 1861.
Dec. 10, 1861.
Dec. 12, 1861.

1 June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
2June 28, 1865.

*Discharged for promotion. tDied of disease, t Absent sick. §Transferred. ]| PeserteJ ,
HKilled Port Hudson. lAbsent wounded. 2On detached service.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.
COMPANY D. — Continued.

297

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Ober, Edwin F . . . . .

Topsham

21

Dec. 13, 1861.

Nov 7 1863.

O'Malley, Owen F . . . .
Peabody, Jesse W ....
Peabody, Luther

Newbury
Topsham
Topsham
Bradford

27
20
19
26

Dec. 26, 1861.
Dec. 4, 1861.
Dec. 6, 1861.
Jan 29 1862

*Nov. 25, 1864.
Oct. 23, 1863.
tNov. 7, 1863.
July 8, 1862

Pierce, Horace A .

Bradford

18

Jan 17 1862.

tSept 4 1863.

Putnam, Ephraim ....
Renfrew, George . .

Bradford
Topsham

43

19

Jan. 13, 1862.
Dec 2 1861

§June 22, 1864.
llJune 3 1863

Richardson, Henry C . . .
Ring, Henry E

Topsham
Corinth .
Thetford

23
21
21

Dec. 2, 1861.
Jan. 31, 1862.
Dec. 26, 1861.

July 17, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
tJuly 3, 1863.

Robinson, Jonathan H . . .

Bradford
Brad ford

44

38

Dec. 26, 1861.
Nov 21, 1861

Oct. 15, 1862.
*May 19, 1864.

Rowe Rufus H

Corinth

21

Jan °4 1862

June 22 1864

Scott, David
Scott Samuel W

Newgate

20
21

Dec. 12, 1861.
Dec 13 1861

July 12, 1863.
June 28 1865.

Shumway, Monroe ....
Smyth Robert

Bradford

32
22

Dec. 7, 1861.
Jan 30 1862

tDec. 15, 1862.
Oct 17 1862

Stevens, Elbridge E . . . .
Taplin Horace E .

Corinth .
Corinth

18
25

Dec! 14,' 1861.
Dec 11 1861

t June 11, 1864.
1TJune28 1865

Washington

22

Dec 13 1*61.

lOct. 21 1864.

Thompson, Henry J . . . .
Tuttle, Elias J . .

Sharon .
Newbury

21
25

Dec. 17, 1861.
Dec 26 1861

HJune 14, 1863.
IFJune 28, 1865.

Tuttle Geo L

18

Dec 26 1861

June 28 1865

Webster, Josiah R . . . .
Wheeler, Edmond L . . . .
Whitney, Geo. H

Bradford
Brattleboro
We^t Fairlee

27
18
18

Dec. 24, 1861.
Jan. 28, 1862.
Nov 30 1861

Feb. 25, 1863.
June 22, 1864.
June 22 1864

Wild, Azariah T
Willey Horace L . . . .

West Fairlee

26
44

Nov. 27, 1861.
Jan 25 1862

1862.
Datenot given

Wyman, Calvin

Xewbury .

30

Jan! 28 1862.

Oct 25, 1862.

RECRUITS
Allen, John ... ...

Total

100
33

Feb 4 1865.

t April 14, 1865.

Almane Peter . ...

27

July 2 1862

JJune 14 1864

Baptist, Jean . .

34

May 20, 1862.

Mar. 28 1863.

Bean Geo N. M

20

May 16 1864

June 15 1865;

Bean, Richard C . ...

18

May 11 1864

June 28 1865.

Brue Joseph

May 5 1864

Bugbee, Chas. P . . .

22

Feb. 28? 1862

tNov 28 1862.

Bullock, Prentice

29

Dec 17 1863

June 28 1865.

Burke, Michael . .

38

Dec. 15 1863

June 28, 1865.

Burlingame Stephen

27

Dec 19 1863

Transferred

Buswell, Albert . ...

42

Jan. 4 1864

June 28 1865.

Carpenter, Edmond . . .

21

Dec. 25 1863.

tNov. 3, 1864.

Carpenter, Wm E

24

Jan 4 1864

2June 28 1865.

Casey James . . .

44

Dec 28 1863

June 28 1865

Child, Willard H

23

Aug. 29' 1864

June 1 1865.

Clancey, Michael .

og

Feb 4* 1865

June 28 1865

Clarey, Patrick

35

Dec 20 1863

June 28, 1865.

Clement, Freeman K

20

Aug °3 1864

June 1 1865

Connolly Michael .

Jan 6 1865

June 28, 1865.

Cornell Thomas .

22

Dec' 3o' 1864

June °8 1865

Curran, Patrick . .

38

Oct 12 1862

+Oct 16, 1862.

Davis David H

18

Jan 2 1864

June 28 1865

Davis, Milton H .

18

Jan 4 1864

June 28, 1865.

Davis Merritt A

26

Jan 26* 1865

June 28 1865.

Day, John H

20

Dec 10 1863

3Oct 19' 1864.

Derby, Alfred B

21

Aug 10 1864

July 19 1865.

Dew, Francis .

43

Jan 5 1864

June 28, 1865.

Emerson, Chas. H

20

Feb °9 1864

June 28 1865.

Faulkner, Wm . .

38

Dec 16 1863.

June 28, 1865.

Fay, James T

35

Dec 10 1863

tAug 30 1864

Fisher, Samuel J . . .

44

Dec! 8' 1863!

Transferred.

Forbes, Francis

18

Dec 28 1863

June 28 1865.

Forbes Robert . .

18

Dec 28* 1863

June 28 1865.

"Transferred. tDied of disease. jDeserted. §Sick at New Orleans. ||Killed at Port
Hudson. 1[On furlough. IDied from wounds received at Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864. 2Absent
sick. SSupposed killed.

.298

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

COMPANY D. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Fuller, Albert C . .

20
30

20
26
24

18
19
19
21
28
32
44
37
39
24
27
21
22
28
30
26
32
19
34
27
22
25
36
21
28
22
44
21
18
31
34
44
21
45
40
34
45
18

Jan. 1, 1864.
Jan. 6, 1865.
March 7, 1865.
March 17, 1865.
Dec. 18, 1863.
Nov. 28, 1863.
Aug. 25, 1864.
May 10, 1864.
May 17, 1864.
Dee. 19, 1863.
Dec. 31, 1863.
Dec. 16, 1863.
Sept. 2, 1864.
Dec. 31, 1863.
Dec. 21, 1863.
Feb. 10, 1865.
May 5, 1864.
May 20, 1862.
May 20, 1862.
Dec. 30, 1863.
Dec. 23, 1864.
Jan. 18, 1865.
Jan. 2, 1864.
Dec. 22, 1863.
Feb. 8, 1865.
Dec. 7, 1863.
Dec. 23, 1864.
Jan. 3, 1864.
Dec. 23, 1864.
Dec. 15. 18C3.
May 5, 1864.
Dec. 17, 1863.
Jan. 13, 1865.
Dec. 16, 1863.
Dec. 10, 1863.
Dec. 21,1863.
Dec. 31, 1863.
Dec. 23, 1863.
Dec. 21, 1863.
June 27, 1862.
March 7, 1865.
Feb. 28, 1862.
Dec. 5, 1863.

June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 19, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
Transferred.
Died 1864.
June 1,1865.
June 28, 18C5.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28,1865.
Transferred.
*Mav 31, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 29, 1865.
tSept. 13, 1863.
May 18, 1865.
Transferred.
June- 28, 1865.
tMar. 14, 1865.
June 6,1865.
May 13, 1865.
J uiie 28, 1865.
•June 28,1865.
tMar. 14, 1*65.
JJune 28, 1865.
June 28,1865.
June 28, 1865.
HJune 28, 1865.
June 12, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
Jur,e 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
§Oct. 22, 1864.
June 26, 1865.
SJune 25, 1863.
June 28, 1865.
§April 4, 1863.
June 28, 1865.

Gait, Robert

Gaskill. Chas
Hall, John E .
Hall, Thomas J .

Harradan, Geo. W ....
Horton, Walter S . . . .
•Jacobs, Joseph ...

Jacobs, Richard
Kelley, Lawrence ....

Larama, John

Larkin, John . ...

Larni, David
Lynda, Nathaniel G . . . .

Manahan, Samuel ....
Mansur, Joseph

Maponi, Antoine . .

Marrion, Chas
Merchant, .lames C . . . .
Miller, John
Miller, Thomas ...

Mills, Alonzo H . .

Minor Henry H

Moore, Patrick
Moran, Newton T
Mullen. Fraticis

Olds, William
Palmer, John

Perry, Milon F

Prue, Joseph
Rollins, Joseph S
Sanford, William
Sister, Charles
Sprague, Lyman W . . . .
Styles, Jeremiah D . . . .
Sweeney, Joseph, Jr . . .
Thomas, Freeling G . . . .
Watson Levi

White, Edward
White, Joseph H
Wilder, Solomon I) ....
Willis, Evander H ....

Total
Aggregate . . .

7«
176

COMPANY E, WORCESTER.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Commission.

Date of

Discharge.

Capt., Edward Hall ....
1st. Lieut., Kilburn Day . .
2d Lieut., Truman P. Kellogg

Worcester . . .
Bethel ....
Worcester . . .

43
43
38

Jan. 1, 1862.
Jan. 1, 1862.
Jan. 1, 1862.

llOct. 28, 1864.
IFDec. 11. 1862.
Uuly 23, 1862.

*Drowned. tDeserted. iSick in General Hospital. §Died of disease. ||Died of wounds
received at Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, 1864. ^Resigned. IDied at Algiers, La.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.
COMPANY E. — Continued.

299

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of

Discharge.

SERGEANTS.
Irf., Edward s. Drown . .
Joseph H. Lane
James E Thayer ....

Wolcott ....
Hardwick . . .
Montpelier . . .

27
24
35

Oct. 6, 1861.
Dec. 20, 1861.
Oct. 1, 1861.

June 22, 1864.
June 22,1864.
*Sept. 4, 1862.

Xenophon Udall
Benjamin F. Morse ....

CORPORALS.
William Shontell
Franklin A. Sanford . . .
Newell H. Hibbard ....
Orrin Mnxliam

Craftsbury . . .
Eliuore ....

Middlesex . . .
Worcester . . .
Bethel ....
Northlield . . .

33
33

25
25
18
21

Dec. 18, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.

Oct. 1, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Sept. 30,1861.
Oct. 7, 1861.

tMar. 11, 1864.
June 22, 1864.

Feb. 12, 1863.
tFeb. 8, 1864.
June 12, 1865.
£Feb. 1863.

John F Plielps

Berlin ....

28

Dec. 17, 1861.

June 22, 1864.

3ra Barrett . . ...

Woodbury . . .

38

Dec. 7, 1861.

SJune 14, 1863.

Francis Wilson

Middlesex . .

28

Oct. 3, 1861.

iDec 5, 1862.

Benjamin F. Bowman . . .

MUSICIANS.
Roswell S. Nichols ....
Martin Winchell

Royaltoii . . .
Middlesex . . .

18

41

63

Oct. 5, 1861.

Nov. 30, 1861.
Dec. 19, 1861.

June 28, 1865.

June 30,1862.
|| Aug. 18, 1862.

WAGONER.
O^car Maxliam

Xorthfield . . .

23

Nov 27, 1861.

HJan. 25, 1865.

PRIVATES.
Abbott Calvin B . .

Bethel ....

35

Oct. 1, 1861.

June 28, 1865.

Allen, Pardon W
Amel, Lewis

Hardwick . . .
Middlesex . . .

18
38

Dec. 19, 1861.
Oct. 7, 1861.

June 30, 1862.
June 28, 1865.

Bailev, Amos
Bailev, John W
Bailey, Samuel A
Bailev, Simon E

Wolcott ....
Wolcott ....
Wolcott ....
Wolcott ....

44

18
44

18

Dec. 1,1861.
Dec. 1, 1861.
Dec. 1, 1861.
Dec. 19, 1861.

Jjune 22, 1862.
Julv 14, 1862.
iSept. 23, 1862.
*Sept. 4, 1862.

Barrett, Chas. A. J . . . .

Hardwick . . .

22

Dec. 2,1861.

Sept. 4, 1862.

Barrett, George

AYoodbury .

28

Dec. 16, 1861.

June 28,1865.

Barrett Levi

Hardwick .

27

Dec. 18 1861.

jOct 4, 1863.

Bates, Albert G
Carley William

Barre
East Montpelier .

21
44

Jan. 13, 1862.
Nov. 28 1861

June 30, 1862.
June 4, 1864.

Chase, Zolva W . .
Clogston, Chas. H . .
Colgrove, John S .
Corliss, Albert A .
Corliss, Stephen . . .
Dana, Lyman . . . .
Drury, Jason . . . .
Emery. Ezra H . . .
Farntiam John

Middlesex . . .
Worcester . . .
Wolcott ....
Tunbridge . . .
Tunbridge . . .
Orange ....
Barre
Bethel ....
Middlesex . .

19
2t
27
18
44
23
22
29
32

Sept. 30, 1861.
Sept. 26, 1861.
Dec. 12, 1861.
Oct. 7, 1861.
Oct. 7, 1861.
Dec. 17, 1861.
Dec. 12.1861.
Oct. 3, 1861.
Dec. 25, 1861

1 June 22, 1864.
Julv 14, 1862.
*Sept. 4, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
t April 22, 1863.
Julv 7, 1863.
2Sept 25, 1863.
JJuly 10, 1863.
June 22, 1864.

Ferrin. Thomas F .

Walden ....

25

Dec. 14, 1861.

*Dec. 20, 1864.

Foster, Isaac G
French, David E .

Montpelier . . .
Barre

43
43

Jan. 4, 1862.
Jan. IS, 1862.

Oct. 12, 1863.
I iNov. 10, 1862.

Getchell, John W ....
Grav, Wm. R

Montpelier . . .
Greensboro .

26
19

Dec. 10, 1861.
Dec. 21, 1861.

June 28, 1865.
1 *Sept. 4, 1862.

Greenwood Fred

Middlesex . .

21

Dec. 8, 1861

*Sept 4, 1862.

Hall, Charles

Worcester .

18

Oct. 1, 1861.

June 30, 1862.

Hills, Chas E L .

Barre . .

18

Dec 22, 1861

JJulv 3, 1863.

Hills, Wm. P
Holmes, Geo P

Waterbury . . .
Woodbury .

18
22

Feb. 7, 1862.
Nov 29, 1861

June 22, 1864.
3Mar. 5, 1863.

Holmes. Ira ... . .

Woodburv . . .

24

Dec. 7, 1861.

3 June 28, 1864.

Howard, James W . . . .
Hutchins, Geo. G
Jones, Alonzo . . .

Brattleboro . .
Sherburne . . .
Montpelier .

18
29
44

Feb. 8, 1862.
Jan. 10, 1862.
Jan. 6, 1862.

4,7 une 24, 1863.
June 28, 1865.
1 Oct 16, 1862.

Jones, John P

Waterbury

18

Dec 30 1861.

June 28 1865

Jones, William . . .

Waterbury . .

25

Dec. 6, 1861

5June 14, 1863.

King, David G . . . .

Woodbury .

35

Dec 7 1861.

Aug 22, 1863.

Kinson, Benjamin H . . .
Labarron, Robinson ....
Lamed, Rollin E .

Middlesex . . .
Woodbury . . .

26
38
23

Oct. 3, 1861.
Dec. 1, 1861.
Dec 14 1861

Mune 18, 1872.
6Julv 14, 1865.
«j[Nov. 2 1864.

*Killed at Bayou des Allemaiids. transferred. jDied of disease. §Kille I at Port Hudson.
HDropped. HDied at Salisbury, N. C. ISick at New Orleans. 2Died'ot wounds 3Deserted.
4Died ol wounds received at Port Hudson. 5Missing in action at Port Hudson 6Sick in Gen
eral Hospital.

3°°

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY E. — Continued.

Name.

Maxhara, Geo . . .

McGookin, Henry .

McMurphy, Julius .

Morey, Robert . . .

Morse, Andrew J . .

Morse, Benjamin F., 2d

Morse, Luther W . .

Murphy, William . .

Nelson* Alonzo R . .

Nelson, Edwin H . .

Perrin, Geq. W . .

Poor, Geo. H . . . ,

Powers, Harrison . .

Putnam, Hiram M .

Reed, Alfred M . .

Reed, Andrew J . .

Reed, Edwin W . .

Rickard, Hymen 0 .

Rogers, Eugene . . . ,

Sabin, David P . . .

Shontell, Benjamin .

Shontell, Frederick . ,

Shontell, Leander . . ,

Sinclair, Hiram D . ,

Slack, Win. H . . . ,

Slay ton, Theodore. . ,

Smith, Charles . . .

Snow, Francis Y . . ,

Staples, Chas . . . ,

Staples, Milton . . .

Stevens, Collamer G .

Thompson, Leonard .

Warren, Alonzo S .

Warren, Lorenzo S .

Webster, Ephraim .

Wedge wood, Geo. E .

Wheat, Geo. F . . .

Wood, Henry M . .

Wood, Wm. W . . .

Wood bury, Asa . .

Young, Gustavus S .

RECRUITS.
Andrews, Chas. L.
Averill, James W .
Averill, John W .
Bacon, John W .
Bahne, Deidrich .
Bates, Lewis B . .
Becker, Gustavus C
Bellows, Franklin
Bement, Wm. B .
Bigelow, Rufus . .
Blair, Samuel N .
Blaisdell, Oliver T
Blanchard, Geo. W
Bowen, Dustin, Jr
Bowman, Albert H
Bowman, Amos B
Brandt, Aleck . .
Brust, Loui . . .
Burill, Albert J .
Burke, Mason P .
Burke, Oscar F .

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

East Montpelier
Belvidere .
Duxbury
Wolcott . .
Elraore . .
Wood bury .
Elmore . .
Hyde Park .
Orange . .
Woodbury .
Barre . . .
Worcester .
Morel own .
Craftsbury .
Berlin . .
Berlin . .
Greensboro .
Bethel . .
Bethel . .
Woodbury .
Middlesex .
Middlesex .
Middlesex .
Montpelier .
Washington
Worcester .
Worcester .
Sharon . .
Williamstown
Williamstown
Bethel . .
Wolcott . .
Middlesex .
Middlesex .
Orange . .
Bethel . .
Elmore . .
Waterbury .
Waterbury .
Craftsbury .
Duxbury

Total .

101

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Oct.

Dec.

Dec.

Oct.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Nov.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Sept.

Dec.

Dec.

Sept.

Feb.

Dec.

Jan.

Dec.

Sept.

Dec.

Sept.

Oct.

Oct.

Dec.

Jan.

Sept.

Dec.

Dec.

Deo.

Dec.

Sept.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Jan.

8, 18C1.

15, 1861

10, 1861.
1, 1861.

3, 1861.

9, 1861.
9, 1861.

21, 1861.

17, 1861.
7, 1861.

11, 1861.

27, 1861.
14, 1>61.

18, 1861.

4, 1861.

28, 1861.
18, 1861.

7, 1861.
30, 1861.

6, 1862.

16, 1861.
10, 18G2.
16, 1861.

28, 186-1.
13, 1861.
30, 1861.

8, 1861.
1, 1861.

4, 1861.

6, 18C2.
30, 1861.

29, 1861.

7, 1861.
7, 1861.

18, 1861.
28, 1861.

5, 1861.
16, 1861.
16, 1861.

1, 1861.
13, 1862.

Feb.
Dec.
Dec.
Sept.
July
Dec.
July
Dec.
Jan.

Dec.
Dec.
Aug.
Sept.

July
July
Feb.
Dec.
Dec.

21, 1865.
3, 1863.

3, 18K3.
17, 1864.
23, 1862.
23, 1863.
30, 1862.

9, 1863.

4, 1864.
March 6, 1865.
Dec. 26, 1863.

21, 1863.
3, 1863.

5, 1864.
14, 1864.

Sept. 14, 1864.

22. 1862.
21, 1862.

13, 1865.
28, 1863.

14, 1863.

July 7,
*Sept. 4,
tNov. 16,
tJan.
June 22,
June 22,
tJune 19,
t

Apr. 28,
Feb. 20,
June 22,
tSept. 29,
June 22,
June 28,
tAug. 15,
tAug. 29,
Feb. 9,
June 30,
June 30,
tSept. 26,
Oct. 16,
tMay 16,
§Feb. 27,
June 14,
June 28,
tApr, 22,
June 22,

1865.
1862.
1863.
1863.
1864.
1864.
1863.

1863.
1863.
1864.
1862.
1864.
1865.
1862.
1863.
1863.
1862.
1862.
1863.
1862.
1862.
1864.
1862.
1865.
1863.
1864.

June

June

Apr.

May

tM4r.

Apr.

tNov.

II May

tMar.

tSept.

tJuly

tApr.

June

28, 1865.
28, 1865.
6, 1863.

13, 1863.
19, 1863.

6, 1863.
11, 1862.
27, 1863.

14, 1863.
3, 1862.

14, 1863.
27, 1863.
22, 1864.

June 28, 1865.

HOct. 21, 1864.

June 28, 1865.

June 1, 1865.

1

May 13, 1865.

tJuly

June

June

June

July

June

tDec.

.Tune

June

HAug.

*Sept.

June

July

July

30, 1864.
28, 1865.
28, 1865.
28, 1865.
15, 1865.
28, 1865.

9, 1864.

1, 1865.

1, 1865.

3, 1864.

4, 1862.
28, 1865.
12, 1865.
26, 1865.

•Killed at Bayou des Allemands. tDied of disease. $Sent to Dry Tortugas 3 years for
desertion. §Transferred. ||Killed at Port Hudson. TDeserttd. ITaken prisoner Sept. 4,
1862 ; shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.
COMPANY E. — Continued.

301

Name.

Resident.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

•Cammell, Joseph .
Canedy, Thomas, 2d
Carlton, Noah, Jr
Carroll, John . .
Chittenden, Cassias
Converse, Asa E .
Davis, Geo. P . .
Davis, John . . .
Dike, Henry L . .
Estus, Jared . . .
Ferrin, Matthew .
Gale, Frederick M
Gee, Lavyus . . .
Goodell, John A .
Grant, Geo. R . .
Grow. Henry H
Hamilton, Geo. W
Hanman, Theron .
Harding, John W .
Holland, Thomas .
Horton, Franklin .
Howieson, Jas . .
Huet, Wiley . . .
Hull, Horace A .
Hurst, Bernard
Jacob^. Chas. M .
Keeler, Frederic L
Kellogg, Julius P .
Kempton, Oliver W
Labarron, Frank .
Lahaize, Oliver .
Lamphere, Theron T
Lampson, Geo . .
Leichleider, John .
Leichleider, Michael
Little, Isaiah C. .
Mason, Hezekiah W
Merrill, Marshall H
Mosman. Michael .
Nelson. John . .
Newell, William .
Olden, Daniel . .
Olden, Geo. E . .
Olden, Henry M .
Parker, Shepard C
Paul, Frank . . .
Phelps, Benijah .
Phelps, Edwin . .
Phipps, Josephus .
Pierce, Lyman J .
Pike, Geo. T . . .
Poor, Julius L . .
Potter, Robert . .
Reed, Marcena . .
Reynolds, Henry A
Hobinson, James .
Santee, Ely ...
Sargent, Andrew J
Sillcox, George . .
Slayton, Andrew J
Stafford, Robert .
Staples, Francis H
Tirrell, EriW . .
Tracey, George . .
Utton, Edmund .
Walbridge, Lysander E

25

19

18

23

18

22

25

27

18

31

22

23

28

23

18

23

25

18

18

20

35

40

45

23

19

15

19

18

23

19

28

18

18

24

20

39

30

42

22

36

30

44

20

36

18

19

27

20

32

18

18

41

19

44

22

19

18

31

25

21

27

20

26

29

March 1, 1865.
Dec. 12, 1863.
Feb. 15, 1865.
21, 1863.

18, 1863.

8, 1863.
14, 1863.

20, 1863.

19, 1863.
18, 1863.

April 19, 1864.
Dec. 3, 1863.

5,1864.
14, 1865.

8,1864

24, 1863.
18, 1863. I

10, 1865.

9, 1865. ;

11, 1862.
9, 1S63.

13, 1865. !
1, 1863. :

18, 1863.

21, 1862.

17, 1863. i
4, 1S64.

6, 1864.
29, 1863.

April 22, 1864.

Dec. 22, 1863.
9, 1865. :
4, 1864.
21, 1862. !

21, 1862.

29, 1863. !

8, 1863. |

25, 1863. I

4, 1862. !

30, 1864. ;

18, 1863. j

31, 1863.

9, 1863. !

5, 1863. j
30, 1863.
16, 1862.

4, 1864.
4, 1864.
18, 1865.

14, 1865.

12, 1863.
10, 1864.
20, 1865.

12, 1863.

7, 1863.

22, 1863.
30, 1863.

March 24, 1865.
Dec. 21, 1863.

10, 1865.

30, 1864.

6, 1862.

8, 1863.
4, 1864.

13, 1865:

9, 1865.

Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.
Dec.

Dec.

Feb.

Sept.

Dec.

Dec.

Feb.

Feb.

July

Dec.

Feb.

Dec.

Dec.

July

Oct.

Jan.

Sept.

Dec.

Feb.

Jan.

July

July

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

July

Dec

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Aug.

Jan.

Jan.

Feb.

Feb.

Dec.

Sept.

Feb.

Dec.

Sept.

Dec.

Dec.

Feb.
Dec.
Jan.
Dec.
Jan.
Feb.
Feb.

*June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 2H, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
tJune 28, 1865.
tJuly 31, 1864.
July 10, 1865.
§J une 30, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
May 23, 1865.
HJune 27, 1865.
June 28,1865.
May 13, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
jMar. 6, 1865.
ITAug. 3, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
1

July 14, 1865.
$June 13, 1864.
June 15, 1865.
J April 20, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
•[Aug. 3, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
1
1

June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
2July 24, 1864.
1

June 18, 1865.
tApril 4, 1864.
tNov. 7, 1864.
jMay 16, 1864.
2July 24, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
1

June 28, 1865.
May 13, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
July 7, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
Oct. 5, 1864.
3June 28, 1865.
tJune 28, 1865.
June 29,1865.
June 28, 1865.
2 June 16, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.

--*Colored cook mustered out. tSick in General Hospital. JDied of disease. § In arrest at N. Y.
flKilled on Vt. Valley Railroad while en route to Brattleboro, to be mustered out. ^Deserted.
ITaken prisoner Sept. 4, 1862 ; shot by rebels Oct. 23, 1862. 2Transferred. SFifer.

302

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY E. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Waldo Will-in! G

28

Sept 13 18C»4

Tune 1 1865

Walker Kra**tus A

18

Dec 111 863

*Aug 0<) 1864

Walker Henry 11 .

32

Dec 11 1803.

June 28 1805

44

Nov. 16 1803

June 7 1805

Whitconib Frank S

21

.Tan 2 1804

May 1'j' 1865

White William O

23

Feb 14 1805

June ''8 1865

William* Cha** It

18

Feb 10 1805

June 28 1805

Total
Aggregate . . .

94
195

COMPANY F, ST. ALBANS.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Da'te of
Commission.

Date of
Discharge.

Capt., Hiram E. Perkins . .
1st Lieut., Daniel S. Foster .
2d Lieut., Carter H. Nasoii .

St. Albans . . .
St. Albans . . .
St. Albans . . .

24

22
27

Jan. 3, 1802.
Jan. 3, !86J.
Jan. 3, 1802.

tMay 31, 1863.
June 22, 1864.
JJune 2, 1863.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

SERGEANTS.
1st., Chas. A. Prentiss . . .
Wm. T. Church

Georgia ....
St. Albans . .

32
33

Jan. 1, 1862.
Nov 22, 1801.

June 22, 186k
June 22, 1864.

Henry C. Nichols . . .

Burlington

. 29

Nov 23 1801

Oct 8 1863.

Byron J. Hurlburt ....
Bonaparte J. Chase ....

CORPORALS.
Franklin R. Carpenter . . .
Ezra E Janes ....

Georgia ....
Fletcher ....

St. Albans . . .
Georgia .

22
20

37
27

Nov. 25, 1861.
Dec. 10, 1801.

Nov. 25, 1801.
Dec 29 1801

June 22, 1864.
*June 30, 1863.

June 28, 1865.
§Mar 1, 1864

Charles E. Colton
Xenophon W. Wood ....

Franklin. . . .
Fletcher

24
25
30

Jan. 13, 1862.
Dec. 19, 1861.
Nov 29 1861

July 14, 1862.
June 22, 1864.
Oct 1 1863

DeWitt C. Hurlburt ....
Stephen O.Tillotson. . . .
Chas. A. McCluskey ....

MUSICIANS.
Henry H. Garvin
William H. Berkley ....

WAGONER.
John Chase

Georgia ....
St. Albans . . .

St. Albans .
Milton ....

20

27
25

54
20

19

Nov. 25, 1861.
Jan. 6, 1862.
Nov. 25, 1861.

Nov. 28, 1801.
Dec. 18, 1801.

Feb. 5 1802

Aug. 15, 1802.
Oct. 18, 1802.
June 22, 1864.

May 20, 1863.
June 28, 1865.

June 22, 18(4.

PRIVATES.
Allard, Peter ......
Barker, Levi
Barnes, Chester W . . . .
Bartrand, Napoleon, Jr . .
Bellows, Osman F . . . .
Bertrand, Napoleon ....

St. Albans . . .
Fairtield. . . .
Bakersfield . . .

Fairfax ....
St. Albans . . .
Bakerstield . . .

23
29
18
18
31
45
22

Jan. 22, 1802
Dec. 4, 1801.
Dec. 12, 1861.
Feb. 4, 1862.
Nov. 21, 1861.
Dec. 4, 1861.
Dec. 5, 1801

June 30, 1804.
June 30, 1864.
*July 12, 1863.
June 22, 1864.
June 22, 1864.
June 22, 1804.
June 28 1865

Bourk, Clement
Bouskey Paul . . .

22
20

Jan. 31, 1802.
Dec. 12, 1861.

June 22, 1864.
July 17, 1865.

*Died of disease. tPromoted to Major U. S. C. T. ^Dismissed the service. §Transferred
to Veteran Reserve Corps.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.

303

COMPANY F. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Brusso, Lovell St. Albans . .

Cadret, Zevia North Hero .

Campbell, Zeri East Swanton .

Carroll, Michael St. Albans . .

Catury, Joseph . . . . . . North Island .

Clapper, Jacob Franklin . .

Clemens, George Bakerstield . .

Dapotha, Erai j

Dapotha, Gasper Milton . . .

Davit, John h ! Bakersneld. .

Davis, Lewis A Bakersneld. .

Decker, Wm. A Alburgh . . .

Demour, Charles I

Deo, Joseph Zed Alburgh . . .

Dewey, San ford

Ducharme, Edward .... St. Albans . .

Dialing, John St. Albans . .

Ellsworth, Hebron . . . . | Bakersneld . .

Fairfield, Geo. W , St. Albans . .

Fanenf, Geo. N j St. Albans . .

Garron, Lewis ; Milton . . .

Gardner, Michael ' Milton . . .

Goddard, Elisha A .... \ St. Albans . .

Goff, James | St. Albans . .

Goodchild, JohnM . . • .

Gould, Allen Bakersfield. .

Hazen, Joel T ! North Island .

Henchey, Peter

Henchey, Thomas H . . . . Bakersneld . .

Houl, Hurbain St. Albans . .

Hunter, William Highgate . .

Jennings, Gustavus F . . . Fairfield . . .

Kenney, James Lowell, Mass .

Kinsley, Wm. L | Fletcher . . .

Lanpher, Edgar R .... I Bakersfield . .

Larock, David, Jr .... Bakersfield . .

Mann, Edmond Richford . . .

McCauley, John W . . . . Bakersfield . .

Merrick, Constant .... Swanton . . .

Merrick, Wm. A St. Albans . .

Minor, Peter Fairfax . . .

Mitchell, Diamond B . . . St. Albans . .

Moshier, Amos Milton . . .

Moshier, Lewis Milton . . .

Moss, John W

Myers, George i St. Albans . .

Newton, Wm. H Hinsdale, N. H

Niles, Abner Bakerstield . .

Norris, Elijah E Alburgh . . .

Patnow, Peter St. Albans . .

Payne, Dighton L North Hero .

Phelps, Henry W | Fairfield . . .

Pippin, Solomon j Milton . . .

Reneaud, Noel !

Robinson, Cephas . . . . I

Robinson, Jacob • Bakersfield . .

Rowley, Wm. H St. Albans . .

Saltus, Edward j Burlington . .

Saul, Edmond | Barton . . .

Scribner, Geo. W Bakersfield . .

Smith, Geo. G St. Albans . .

Stickney, Elvy J \ St. Albans . .

St. Louis, Jesse j Milton . . .

Stone, Lawrence (St. Albans . .

Squires, Jonathan L . . . . i Bakersfield . .

Taylor, Henry W j

38
18
21
18
19
19
21
21
20
25
26
18
28
19
21
29
25
24
28
18
24
27
23
38
21
42
19
19
21
21
28
18
19
18
20
20
20
40
44
43
26
44
19
18
20
35
21
22
36
22
18
29
31
19
19
24
18
20
44
27
18
39
27
21
22

Jan.

Dec.

Dec.

Nov.

Dec.

Nov.

Dec.

Jan.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Feb.

Dec.

Feb.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Nov.

Dec.

Dec.

Nov.

Dec.

Feb.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Jan.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Feb.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Jan.

Dec.

Dec.

Jan.

Jan.

Dec.

Nov.

Jan.

Dec.

Nov.

Dec.

Feb.

Feb.

Jan.

Nov.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Nov.

Jan.

Dec.

Dec.

Dec.

Jan.

20, 1862.

30, 1861.

3, 1861.

27, 1861.
2, 1861.

29, 1861.

28, 1861.

17, 1862.
18, 1861.
27, 1861.
16, 1861.

2, 1861.
5, 1862.
12, 1861.

18, 1862.

19, 1861.

11, 1861.
14, 1861.

31, 1861.
23, 1861.

20, 1861.
16, 1861.

29, 1861.
27, 1861.

7, 1862.

5, 1861.
2, 1861.

12, 1861.
12, 1861.

4, 1862.

6, 1861.
14, 1861.
18, 1861.

9, 1861.

5, 1862.

12, 1861.

30, 1861.
9, 1861.

13, 1861.

23, 1861.
12, 1861.
20, 1861.

6, 1862.

24, 1861.
9, 1861.

2, 1862.

18, 1862.
12, 1861.
27, 1861.

6, 1862.
12, 1861.
27, 1861.
16, 1861.

4, 1862.

7, 1862.

3, 1862.

25, 1861.
24, 1861.

6, 18(51.
20. 1861.
23, 1861.

19, 1862.
16, 1861.
16, 1861.

20. 1861.

19. 1862.

*Feb.

June

June

June

June

June

tFeb.

June

June

iSept.

June

June

8, 1864_
28, 1865.

4, 1863.
22, 1864.
28, 1865.
28, 1865.
28, 1863.
22,1864.
22, 1864.
20, 1864.
22, 1864.
28, 1865.

June 28, 1865.

§Sept. 12, 1862.

|| May 27, 1863.

tMar. 24, 1865.

May 13, 1865.

Nov. 14, 1863.

June 28, 1865.

June 28, 1865.

June 28, 1865.

tJune 26, 1862.

July 10, 1865.

JJune 19, 1863.
I Oct. 18, 1862.
i June 22, 1864.
I UMay 27, 1863.

TJan. 6, 1865.
! June 22, 1864.
\ IFeb. 2C, 1862.
1 June 22, 1864.
! IMar. 15, 1862.
i June 22, 1864.
i June 28, 1865.
i IMay 18, 1864.
! Aug. 16, 1863.
| June 28, 1865.
i Aug. 22, 1863.
I June 22,1864.
' Sept. 4, 1862.
'• *Apr. 27, 1865..
\ June 22, 1864.

t July 28, 1863.
i Nov. 4, 1863.
i jMar. 8, 1864.

*Apr. 14, 1864.

June 28, 1865.
i 2June 22, 1864.
: IMar. 5, 1862.
i June 28, 1865.

June 22, 1864.
! June 22, 1864.
; IMay 18, 1864.
i June 22, 1864.

June 22, 1864.

June
i JJune
l $May
• June

June
! June

Feb.
i June
i *Aug.

22, 1864.

23, 1862.
2, 1863.

12, 1865.
22, 1864.
28, 1865.

26, 1863.
28, 1865.

27, 1863.

*Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. tTransferred to Barrett's Cavalry. JDied of
disease. §Died of wounds received Sept. 4, 1862. ||Killed at Port Hudson. HDied at Salisury,
N. C. IDeserted. 2Sick in General Hospital. STaken prisoner Oct. IP, 1864: joined the
rebel service Jan., 1865.

304

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY F. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

Date of

Discharge.

Tracy, Geo. R

Montgomery . .

22

Jan. 3, 1862.
,7 an 3 1862

June 28, 1865.
Aug 22 1863

Wells Chas

32

Feb 7 1862

June 2l)* 1864

Wheeler, Henry B . . . .
White Stephen M . . .

North Hero . .

18
29

Dec. 12, 1861.
Nov 26 1861

June 28, 1865.
*Aug 31 1864

Whitney Henry

18

Dec I9 1861

Wood, Robert

Fletcher. . . .

29

Dec! 30| 186l!

June 12,' 1865

RECRUITS.

Total

101
41

Mar 17 1865

Tune 28 1865

Albert Peter . .

19

Jan 10 1865

June 28 1865

18

Mar 25 1865

Tune 28* 1865

Blaudet Hurbeine

22

Jan 26 1865

June 28 1865

Bliss Henry N

21

Mar 1 1865

t June l' 1865°

Bordeau Frank . . .

18

Aug 15 1864

j

Borell Oliver

24

Jan 27 1865

Tune 28 1865

Bullock David O ...

19

Mar 20* 1865

June 28 1865

33

Dec 30 1863

^Dec 13* 1864

Coon Oliver E . . . .

29

Mar 15* 1865°

ilune 28 1865

18

Dec 26 1863

June 28* 1865

Crown, Win. E .

18

Mar 15 1865

June 2^' 1865*

Cull John H

24

Mar 13* 1865

June 28 1865

Daste, Sixte

20

May 20, 1862.

tMay 18, 1864

Dodge Geo F

33

Dec 11 1863

June 28 1865

25

Aprif 3 1865

18

Dec *V 1863

June 28 1865

Fox, Chas F . . . .

32

Dec 10 1863

June 28 1865

French Henry W

32

Dec 3 1863

June °8 1865

18

Jan 4 ] 864

23

Aug 15 1864

June 1 1865

King John

28

Dec 31 1863

li June ' 1864

Labelle Joseph

24

Dec 23 1864

June 28 1865

18

Sept 5' 1864

June 1 1865

35

April 3 1865

June ^8 1865

Mack Orson M

18

Mar 15 1865

June 28 1865

Mack' Wm H H . .

19

Mar 15 1865

June 9H 1865

23

Mar 13 1865

July (>0 1865

Mathews G^o W

29

Dec 16 1863

UMay 31* 1864

27

Mar 15 1865

June I9 1865

Monty Wilhur E . .

18

Aug 29 1864

June 1 1865

21

I )ec °8 1 863

June 28 1865

Parker, Geo. E . .

20

Dec 26, 1863

UMay 24 1864

Peltier George

34

Dec 29 1863

|!jan 28* 1865

Perry Monroe . .

17

Mar 14 1865

June 28 1865

34

Jan 10 1865

June 28 1865

Prim,' Seymour
Provo Alfred

44

22

Dec. 29, 1863.
Mar 18 1865

II Nov. 26, 1864.
June 28 1866

21

Aug 15 1864

June l' 1865

Robinson, Wm. W . . . .
Ruel Chas

20

24

Mar! 20', 1865!
Jan 9 1865

June 28, 1865.
June 28 1865

23

Tan 9 1865

June 28 1865

Sanderson, Chas. E . .

18

Mar 13 1865

June 28 1865

18

Dec 26 1863

June 28 1865

23

Mar 20 1865

June 28 1865

23

April 3 1865

June 28 1865

Smith Wm M

20

Feb 10 1865

June 28 1366

Swan Lucius Y

23

Jan 25 1865

June 28 1865

45

May 20 1862

Sept 22 1864

Wellman Chandler F

37

Ian 25 1865

June 28 1865

Wheelock John E

23

Mar 15 1865

June 28* 1865

Whitney Alvin T

21

May 25 1864°

June 24* 1865

Winslow William

43

Dec 18 1863

June 28* 1865

39

Dec 7* 1863*

June 28* 1865

Wright Edward B

23

Jan 4 1864

June 28 1865

Wright John F

18

Mar 30 1865

June 28 1865

Young, James L

45

Dec. 28,' 1863.

Uune 18*, 1864.

Total
Aggregate . . .

56

157

*Siok in General Hospital. tDeserted. ^Transferred to Seventh Vermont. §Discharged
for promotion. IJTransferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. ^[Died of disease. iTransferred to
Invalid Corps.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.

305

COMPANY G, RANDOLPH.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Commission.

Date of
Discharge.

Capt., Sam'l G. P. Craig . .
1st Lieut., Job W. Green . .
2d Lieut., John B. Mead . .

Randolph . . .
Randolph ...
Randolph . . .

32
30
30

Jan. 7, 1862.
Jan. 7, 1862.
Jan. 7, 1862.

*May 4, 1863.
t April 1, 1863.
June 28, 1865.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

SERGEANTS.
1st, Otho S. A. Sprague . .
John M Pike

Randolph . . .
Shaftsbury .

22
23

Nov. 20, 1861.
Dec. 6 1861

July 6, 1862.
June 28 1865

Randolph .

33

Nov. 20, 1861.

June 28, 1865.

"Wm. F. Farnsworth ....
Charles R Wills

Braintree . . .

25
32

Dec. 7, 1861.
Nov 25 18(51

June 22, 1864.
June 22 1864

CORPORALS.
Geo W Packard . . .

Bethel

26

Dec 1 1861

Sept 8 1863

Johnson B. Sargent ....
Henry Coles . .

Randolph . . .
Braintree

27
22

Dec. 14, 1861.
Dec 7 1861

June 22, 1864.
JJune 14 1863

Dudley C. Woodbury . . .

Randolph . . .
Chelsea

20
30

Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 9 1861

*Sept. 10, 1863.
*May 22 1864

Charles A. Loomis ....

Mt. Holly . . .
Roxbury

29
21

Dec. 7, 186l!
Nov 22 1861

June 22, 1864.
JJune 14 1863

Geo Walker. . . .

Randolph . .

25

Dec. 14, 1861

*April 27* 1862*

MUSICIANS.

Randolph

30

Nov 97 1861

May 6 1863

Almond B. Hayward . . .

WAGONER.
Benjamin A. Kinney . . .

PRIVATES.
Austin, Truman M . . . .
Battles, Charles W ....
Battles Geo. W . . . .

Randolph . . .
Randolph . . .

Rochester . . .
Braintree . . .
Braintree . .

20
25

18
18
18

Nov. 27, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.

Dec. 20, 1861.
Dec. 25, 1861.
Dec. 25 1861

June 28,' 1865!
Jane 28, 1865.

June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
JMay 27 1863

Battles, Ira

Braintree . . .

35

Dec. 27, 1861.

June 22,' 1864

Bell David C . . . .

Randolph

21

Dec 25, 1861

Jure 5 1863

Beman Samuel

Randolph

39

Dec 31 1861

June 28 1865

Bement, James H .

Braintree

18

Dec. 30* 1861

June 28 1865

Bennett, Chas

Barre . .

23

Jan 24, 1862

June 10 1862

Beran Oliver . .

Granville . .

35

Dec 7 1861

June 28 1865

Bissell, Lucius W . ... . .
Bissonette, Paschal ....
Bliss, Willis R

Roxbury • .
Chelsea . .

25
21

22

Jan. 25, 1862^
Dec. 22, 1861.
Dec 5 1861.

§Jan. 24, 1863.
June 28, 1865.
June 6 1862

Brewster, Leroy S . . . .
Bruce, Martin L
Bucklev, James W . . . .
Chirk Warren S

Randolph . . .
Braintree . . .
Randolph . . .

24

18
26
18

Dec. 2, 1861.
Nov. 27, 1861.
Dec. 14, 1861.
Nov 25 1861

June 16, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
June 6, 1862.
June 10 1862

Clukav, Patrick

Roxburv

21

Dec 10 1861

June 22' 1864°

Coles. Geo. W
Coles, Seymour N
Coter, Joseph

Braintree . . .
Braintree . . .
Braintree .

18
18
21

Nov. 25, 1861.
Nov. 30, 1861.
Nov. 22 1861

June 28, 1865.
July 7, 1865.
June 22 1864

Cram, Abrarn E
Cram, Joseph

Brookfield . . .

30
24

Dec. 10, 1861.
Feb 4 186'-*

June 28, 1865.

Currier, Joseph

Roxbury

40

Nov 2o' 1861

June 28 1865

Davis, John

21

Dec 27 1861

|| Sept °o' 1863

Davis, Thomas
Depathy, John F
Dupias, Fabian

Fairhaven . . .
Randolph . . .
Randolph . . .

33
23
18

Dec. 18, 1861.
Dec. 10, 1861.
Nov. 27, 1861.

I! March 6, 1862.
ITSept. 4, 1863.
June 13, 1865.

*Died of disease. tResigned. filled at Port Hudson.
Guards. || Deserted. ^Killed at Boutee Station.

§ Commission in 3d La. Nat.

306

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY G-. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Durgin, Chas. S

Vershire .
Randolph
Vershire .
Royalton
Rochester
Randolph
Randol ph
Randolph
Corinth . • .

Braintree :
St. Albans
Randolph
Randolph
Granville
Roxbury .
Sharon .
Waterbury
Hancock
Braintree
Brookfield
Braintree
Randolph
Granville
Chelsea .
Braintree
Randolph
Randolph
Northfield
Randolph
Randolph
Vershire .
Hancock
Randolph
Brookfield
Brookfield
Braintree
Braintree
Braintree
Braintree
Braintree
Granville
Braintree
Randolph
Randolph
Randolph
Braintree
Randolph
Vershire .
Granville
Randolph
Vershire .
Royalton
Randolph

Total

28
20
37
28
21
27
18
21
30
21
34
27
29
33
22
18
18
28
18
18
43
18
44
23
35
18
26
29
18
33
26
44
27
22
25
19
21
22
38
27
26
26
24
18
22
34
40
18
24
19
18
18
22
45

Jan. 16, 1862.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 14, 1861.
Jan. 2, 1862.
Nov. 30, 1861.
Dec. 18, 1861.
Dec. 14. 1861.
Nov. 21, 1861.
Dec. 14, 1861.
Dec. 25,1861.
Dec. 21, 1861.
Dec. 30, 1861.
Oct. 5, 1861.
Oct. 5, 1861.
Nov. 20, 1861.
Dec. 16, 1861.
Jan. 23, 1862.
Dec. 18, 1861.
Dec. 20, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec. 30,1861.
Nov. 27, 1861.
Dec. 23, 1861.
Dec. 14, 1861.
Dec. 10,1861.
Dec. 7, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Jan. 24, 1862.
I'ec. 31,1861.
Dec. 1, 1861.
Dec. 24, 1861.
Dec. 14, 1861.
Dec. 20, 1861.
Jan. 11,1862.
Nov. 30, 1861.
Jan. 17, 1862.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Nov. 30,1861.
Dec. 21,1861.
Dec. 2,1861.
Dec. 4, 1861.
Dec. 31, 1*61.
Dec. 31, 1861.
Jan. 24, 1862.
Dec. Hi, 1861.
Dec. 10, 1861.
Jan. 8, 1862.
Jan. 24, 1862.
Dec. 7, 1861.
Dec. 7, 1861.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Jan. 16, 1862.
Jan. 20, 1862.
Jan. 22, 1862.

Dec. 23. 1863.
Dec. 28, 1863.
Dec. 23, 1863.

*May 18, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
tSept. 13, 1863.
tSept. 5, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
Tr.Sig.Cps.,'62
§Dec. 15, 1863.
HAug. 18, 1862.
HJuly 19. 1862.
June 22, 1864.
*Sept. 30, 1863.
HMay 15,1863.
June 22, 1864.
June 16, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
[IJuly 16, 1863.
*Xov. 25, 1863.
1 June 14, 1863.
June 16, 1862.
liJuly 22, 1863.
Sept. 4, 1862.
June 6, 1862.
2 -
!! July 8, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
|| June 12, 1862.
June Id, l>-62.
Uune 14, 1863.
Sept. 24, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
3Oct. 1 , 1864.
HFeb. 24, 1863.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
March 31, 1863.
HJune 2, 1862.
July 5, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
*Mav 18, 1864.
June 6, 1862.
June 6, 1862.
llJune 2,1862.
June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
June 22, 1864.
II Aug. 6, 1864.
4April 2, 1864.
|| Aug. 21, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
June 6, 1862.
5July 12, 1863.
June 16,1862.
June 28, 1865.

6Dec. 29, 1864.
liAug. 12, 1864.
7Sepr. 22, 1864.

Eaton Daniel W

Evans, Lyman B

Farmer George

Flanders, Thomas N . . . .
Flint Abner N

Graves, Geo. H
Herrick, Lucius C
Hoit Benjamin B

Howard, Chester J ....
Howe, Geo. R

Hudson Arthur

Hull Felis F

Hull Francis S

Jones Stephen H

Kemp Oscar

Kendall George .

Kendall, Theodore B . . .
Kinney, Andrew J . . . .
Lamb, Edwin F

Lancaster, Seth H . . . .

Lewi" David W

Luce, Lyman P

Montgomery, Judson M . .
Moulton, Wm. B

Parker Solon

Parkhurst, Benj. F . . . .
Plumley Wm. D

Prescott, Horton

Quimbv Henry S

Richards, George
Richards Joseph

Rood Oliver

Rotary Victory

Russ, William W. B . . . .
Russell Chas. . ....

Sargent Wallace

Spear, Augustus C . . . .
Spear Edwin

Sprague Tyler E

Stowe Melvin

Sullivan John

Sumner, Samuel W . . . .
Tarbell, Chas. G

Tracy James

Tucker, Marcellus E . . .
Twilight Chas. B. P ...

Will"* Bliss P

Wood's, Timothy N . . . .

RECRUITS.
Arnold, Benj. F
Atwood, Irving H
Austin, Riley C

100

23
19
32

•Deserted, t Wounded at Port Hudson May 27, and died above date. jDied of wounds received
Sept. 4. § Discharged to be commissioned assistant surgeon. IfDropped from rolls. ||Died of
disease. IKilled at Port Hudson. 2Transferred to Co. E; see record there. 31>ied on way to
hospital in Vermont. 4Transferred to Signal Corps. 5Wounded at Port Hudson July 5, and
died above date. 6Died at Salisbury, N. C. 7Killed in action.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.
COMPANY G. — Continued.

307

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Alexander, Jabez . . .
Austin, Geo. E . . . .
Bauzmont, Leon . . .
Blanchard, Adolphus .
Brown, AVrn. H . . .
Blake, Francis H . . .
Bradley, Richard . . .
Brigtrs, Henry H . . .
Bussce, Frederick . .
Carmody, Con ....
Cole, Henry H . . . .
Cov Chas C

44
30
31
21
23
18
23
23
18
27
19
23
28

11

21
26
22
29
44
18
34
26
23
29
22
20
41
39
33
18
35
23
25
28
21
21
18
35
21
27
44
27
24
18
18
26
26
30
21
26
30
18
18
42
22
35
39
21
25
21

Feb. 21,1865.
Sept. 6, 1864.
June 20, 1862.
March 11, 1862.
June 1, 1862.
July 6, 1864.
Aug. 10, 1864.
Feb. 14, 1865.
> July 4, 1864.
June 17, 1862.
Jan. 1, 1864.
Dec. 30, 1863.
Dec. 30, 1863.
Dec. 29, 1S63.
Feb. 21, 1865.
Jan. 26, 1865.
Dec. 29, 1863.
Jan. 1, 1864.
Aug. 23, 1864.
July 1, 1864.
Dec. 10, 1863.
Sept. 5, 1864.
Dec. 30, 1863.
Jan. 2, 1864.
Dec. 24, 1863.
Dec. 17, 1863.
April 6, 1865.
Aug. 4, 1864.
Sept. 19, 1864.
Feb. 15, 1865.
July 2, 1862.
Nov. 18, 1863.
Dec. 28, 1863.
June 26, 1862.
Nov. 1, 1863.
July 1, 1862.
Jan. 1, 1864.
Dec. 28, 1863.
Jan. 26, 1865.
June 23, 1862.
June 1, 1862.
Jan. 2, 1864.
Dec. 10, 1863.
Nov. 1, 1863.
Jan. 2, 1864.
Aug. 18, 1864.
Dec. 21, 1863.
Dec. 26, 1863.
Dec. 21, 1863.
Feb. 18, 1865.
Aug. 10, 1864.
Aug. 12, 1*64.
Aug. 20, 1864.
Dec. 8, 1863.
Aug. 18, 1864.
Dec. 3, 1863.
Dec. 17, 1863.
Dec. 3, 1863.
July 12, 1864.
Feb. 20, 1865.
May 19, 1862.
Nov. 16, 1863.

June 28, 1865.
*Oct. 19, 1864.
June 22, 1864.
t April 12, 1863.
$March7, 1863.
$Nov. 22, 1864.
June 1, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1865.
llJuly 23, 1863.
June 2s, 1865.
ITAug. 22, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
Uune 10, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
lOct. 16, 1864.
July 7, 1865.
June 1, 1865 .
June 28, 1865.
1 April 14, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 13, 1865.
2June 28, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
Jun« 28, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
1 April 29, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
§July 23, 1862.
2 June 28, 1865.
SJune 28, 1863,
IMar. 28, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
§June 1, 1865.
4June 14, 1863
$March 7, 1863.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
2June28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
Tr. Inv. corps.
IFeb. 22,1865.
June 22. 1.-65.
June 1, 1865.
June 1, 1865v
June 1, 1865.
June 28,1865.
June 1, 1865.
July 7, 1865.
June 28, 1H>5.
INov. 27, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
June 28, 1865.

Culver, Seymour . . .
Colby, Stephen R . . .
Collins, James ....
Darling, Joseph . . .
Denisou, Henry H . .
Dunham, Win. C . . .
Depuys, Antoine . . .
Ellis, Daniel R. . . .
Ensworth, Geo. W . .
Flanders, Geo. W . . .
George, Jethro S . . .
Gould, Shubael . . . .
Granger John ....

Gibson, Alexander . .
Green, Edward A ...
Green Wm W

Griffin, Joshua M . . .
Hackman, John . . .
Harlow, Wm. AV . . .
Hatch John

Hay David

Henry, John ....
Hoezle, Louis ....
Honey, Amaii S . . .
Johnson, Henry T . .
Johnson, James . . .
Johnston, William . .
Kean, Dennis ....
Kilbourne, George . .
Lackey, Amasa ....
Leftredge, Barney . .
Lyman, Joel F . . . .
Lesure, John G . . .
Metcalf, Marquis L . .
Miller, Lorenzo D . . .
Merrill, John F . . .
Martin, Aaron H . . .
Mitchell, John ....
Montgomery, Monroe J
Moore, Levi
Ordway, Chas. H . . .
Negus, Timothy O . .
Page, Joseph P ...
Pierce, Chas. A . . .
Putnam, Geo. P . . .
Pifer, Peter

Rauchenberger, Frederick
Richards, Charles ....

*Killed at Cedar Creek. tKilled at Bisland. jShot by rebels while prisoner. §Deserted
[[Wounded at Port Hudson May 27, and died above date. HDied on U. S Steamer Mississippi.
IDied of disease. 2Colored cook. SWounded at Port Hudson June 14, and died above date*
4Killed at Port Hudson. '

308

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY G. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

Date of

Discharge.

Richards, True E .

43

Nov 16 1863

June 28 1865

Ryan Dennis

25

June 12 1862

Rowell Aaron

19

Feb 21 1865

Smith Geo W

37

Dec 26* 1863

Smith John A. Jr

23

Dec 24* 1863

June 28 1865

Smith, Josiah

25

Dec 17 1863

Smith, Monroe

21

Nov' 16* 1863

June 28 1865

Stevens Nathaniel L

40

Nov 16 1863

§April21 1864

Slack Chas I)

33

Aug 15 1864

Stone' Sardis G

40

Aug 18 1864

Titus Henry H

19

Feb 19 1869

Trask Reuben L

19

Nov 16 1863

§April 24 1864

Thresher Edwin F

24

Sept 3 1864

June 1 1865

Van Lew, Lewis

22

Jan 20 1865

June 28 1865

Wales Geo A . .

17

Dec 30 1863

16

May 21 1862

Webb Chas A

18

Aug 12 1864

June 1 1865

Whitcher Alfred

March 16* 1865

Whitcher Charles

24

March 16* 1865

Tune 28 1865

White Samuel

19

March 11 1865*

Total
Aggregate . . .

85
185

COMPANY H, TOWNSHEND.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Commission.

Date of
Discharge.

'Capt., Henry F. Dutton . .
1st Lieut., A'lvin B. Franklin
2d Lieut., Wm. H. H. Holton

Ludlow ....
Newfane . . .
Jamaica ....

24
23
20

Jan. 17. 1862.
Jan. 17, 1862.
Jan. 17, 1862.

UNov. 16, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
1

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

SERGEANTS.
1st., S. E. Howard ....
Wm. H. Smith .

Jamaica ....
Townshend

21

20

Nov. 19, 1861.
Nov 19 1861

2Dec. 9, 1864.
June 28 1865

Lemuel I. Winslow ....
Samuel H. Bailey . .

Townshend . .
Townshend

21
30

Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec 28 1861

3Feb. 12, 1864.
3Dec 12 1869

<*eo. M. Allard

Readsboro .

28

Dec 21 1861

June 22 1864

CORPORALS.
•Geo. M. Bissell
Henry K. McClure . . .
Alvin G. Higgins . . .
Joseph N. Dunton . .
Hymenius A. Davis . .
John W. Saunders . .
Gilbert G. Milliard . .
•George W. Putnam . .

WAGONER.
Burnell B Gate

/
Wardsboro . .
Townshend . .
Brookline . . .
Townshend . .
Land grove . . .
Wardsboro . . .
Landgrove . . .
Wardsboro . . .

34
31

25
23
18
31
40
25

25

Dec. 1, 1861.
Nov. 22, 1861.
Dec. 31, 1861.
Nov. 23. 1861.
Dec. 23, 1861.
Jan. 4, 1862.
Dec. 16, 1861.
Jan. 4, 1862.

Jan 2 186°

June 28, 1865.
4June 22, 1*62.
$Dec. 9, 1863.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
4June 22, 1862.
§Sept. 14, 1863.
June 22, 1864.

5Aug 16 1862

"Killed at Port Hudson. ^Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps June 17, 1864, and dis
charged above date. §Died of disease. ([Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. IJFrom
•wounds received at Winchester, Sept. 19. IWounded June 22, 1862, and transferred to Veteran
Reserve Corps. 2For wounds received at Cedar Creek Oct. 19. 3Transferred to U. S. C. T.
4Killed at.Raceland. 5Killed on engine.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.
COMPANY H. — Continued.

309

Name. ,

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

PRIVATES.
Akeley, Clark B
Akeley, Willard H ....
Aldrieh Milo 1) . .

Brattleboro . .
Brattleboro . • .
Readsboro . . .

27
19
24

Jan. 13, 1862.
Feb. 3, 1862.
Dec. 21, 1861.

*Oct. 1, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.

Allen, Jonathan V ....
Barker, Augustus ....
Bartlett Charles

Winhall ....
Whitingham . .
Townshend .

20
20
20

Jan. 30, 1862.
Feb. 1, 1862.
Jan. 23, 1862.

tOct. 19, 1864.
June 22, 1864.
jMay 27, 1863.

Blood, Oliver
Bowker, Wilbur F . . . .
Boyd Francis J

Landgrove . . .
Peru
Readsboro . . .

24
20
24

Jan. 15, 1802.
Dec 17, 1861.
Jan. 7, 1862.

June 22, 1^64.
iMay 27, 1863.
June 22, 1864.

Boynton, Myron L . . . .
Brown, Charles

Jamaica ....
Rockingham . .
Whitingham

23

18
23

Jan. 17, 1862.
Jan. 16, 1862.
Jan. 17, 1862.

June 22, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.

Bush, Alonzo P
Childs Samuel S

Brookline . . .
Landgrove .

18
18

Jan. 25, 1862.
Dec. 30 1861.

§Aug. 26, 1862.
||Nov. 28, 1864.

Clough, George
Cook Calvin Li

Stratton ....
Wardsboro

30
18

Jan. 13, 1862.
Dec. 17, 1861

June 28, 1865.
June 22 1864.

Crocker, Henry W . . . .
Crowley Xoah S

Athens . . .

3'2
40

Dec. 27, 1861.
Jan 6 1862

JJune 14, 1863.
June 28, 1865.

Cutler, Chas. A

Brookline . . .

26

Jan. 13, 1862.

June 5, 1863.

Darling Cha** H

Jamaica

28

Dec 10 1861

June 28, 1865

Davis, Arthur C
Davis Otis A.

Wilmington . .
Landgrove .

18

18

Nov. 25, 1861.
Dec 13 1861.

June 27, 1862.
June 28, 1865.

Dean, Chas. A
Dean, Theodore L . . . .
Derry Benj. F

Woodstock . . .
Woodstock . . .

18
24
33

Jan. 6, 1862.
Dec. 16, 1861.
Jan. 15, 1862.

June 22, 1864.
Aug. 14, 1862.
June 28, 1865.

Dodge, Randolph
Evan** \lbert O

Grafton ....

23

18

Jan. 8, 1862.
Dec 18 1861

June 22, 1864.
H\ov 9 1864

Fairbanks, Luzern ....
Faulkner, Eli J
Gates John E

Whitingham . .
Londonderry . .

18
18
23

Jan. 29, 1862.
Nov. 28, 1861.
Dec 9 1861

Nov. 25,' 1863*
June 27, 1862.
June 28 1865

Hale Albert T

Readsboro . .

23

Dec. 21, 1861

§July 19, 1862.

Harlow, Dexter I ....
Harrington, Geo. B . . . .
Harris, Ronianzo A ....
Harvey, Lyruan H .....
Haynes, Newell F . . . .
Henry, James M

Land grove . . .
Windham . . .
AViudham . . .
Strattou ....
Wilmington . .
Townshend

19
18
19

18
20
18

Dec. 13, 1861.
Feb. 3, 1862.
Jan. 13, 1862.
Jan. 10, 1862.
Dec. 17, 1861.
Jan 17, 1862.

June 22, 1864.
June 28. 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
June 22, 1864.
§Oct 15 1862

Hodgkins, Merrill L . . .
Holt, Lovell S

Wardsboro . . .
Readsboro .

20
31

Dec. 6, 1SG1.
Jan 13 1802.

June 28, 1865.
June 28 1865.

Howard, Hardin W . . . .
Howard, Horace W . . . .
Howard, Win. H. H ...
Ingalls, Wm H

Townshend . .
Jamaica ....
Townshend

18
21
22
21

Dec. 2, 1861.
Jan. 8, 1862.
Nov. 29, 1861.
Dec 6 1861.

Sept. 13, 1863.
June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
June 27 1862

33

Dec 23 1861

June 22 1864

Kilburn, Henry A ....
Lee Edwin P ...

Wardsboro . . .

23
21

Jan. 1, 1862.
Dec 21 1861

June 28, 1865.
June 96 1865

Lincoln, Matthias J . . . .
Lon°r Joseph Madison

Stratton ....
Peru .

18
18

Jan. 9, 1862.
Dec 18 1861

July 11, 1864.
Nov 20 1862

Mack Daniel

Windham

18

Dec 16 1^61

June ''8 1865

Merri'tield, Albert H . . .
Miller, Ransom B ....
Oaks, Ebenezer, Jr . . . .
Orrusbv, Geo E

Brookline . . .
Westminster . .
Athens ....
Townshend

19
18
31
18

Nov. 29, 1861.
Jan. 18, 181)2.
Feb. 13, 1862.
Dec 3 1861

June -2$, 1865.
Nov. 20, 1862.
§Oct. 15, 1862.
tOct 19 1864

Peck Joseph H

28

Jan 3l' 1869

June 28 1865

Perry, Wm. W., Jr . . . .
Pettee, Waitstill R . . . .
Porter, Newton H . . . .
Pufter, Henry
Putnam, Dana P ....

Brookline . . .
Wardsboro . . .
Townshend . .
Readsboro . . .
Stratton ....

21
18
20

18
22
18

Jan. 6, 3862.
Dec. 10, 1861.
Jan. 18, 1862.
Jan. 20, 1862.
Jan. 10, 1862.
Dec 19 1861

1 June 22, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
Feb. 21, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
Oct. 31, 1862.
June 92 1864

Putnam, Henry H . . . .
Putnam, Sidney C . . . .

Stratton ....
Stratton ....

21
19

Feb. 3, 18(»2.
Dec. 12, 1861.

Oct. 18, 1862.
April 7, 1864.

* Wounded June 22, and discharged above date, t Killed at Cedar Creek. $Killed at Port
Hudson. §Died of disease. HWounded at Cedar Creek, and died from same above date.
IT Wounded at Cedar Creek Oct. 19, and died above date. IWounded April 12, 1863 ; mustered
out above date.

3io

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY H. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

•

Date of
Discharge.

Wardsboro

21

Dec 20 1861

June 22 1864

Reed, ElbrHge J
Richardson, Lowell M . . .
Shine Myron M . .

Grafton . . .
Londonderry .
Townshend

18
18
27

Dec. 14,' 1801.'
Dec. 7, 1861.
Dec 28 1861

June 27, 1862.
*June 22, 1865.
June 28 1865

Smith Arnold Al

43

Jan 6 1862

Uune ' 1863

Smith Robert H

Wardsboro

22

Dec. 6 1861

June 2° 1864*

Smith Stillmaii

18

Dec 19 1861

i June 2f> 1864

Stickney, Warren B . . . .
Stowe, Henry J
Thompson, John M . . . .
Toby Henry A . .

Brookline . .
Wilmington .
Landgrove . .
Whitingham

23

22
18
18

Nov. 19, 1861.
Dec. 17, 1861.
Dec. 13, 1861.
Jan 7 1862

Sept. 23, 1863.
June 22, 1864.
Nov. 30, 1862 .
•June °7 1862

Twomblv Albert J . . . .

Windhain .

18

Dec 18 1861.

§Jan 17 1863

Upham, Bradford H
Wellnmn. Marshall W . . .
White, Alvin H

Windham . .
Brookline . .
Wardsboro

18
18
21

Nov. 30, 1861.
Jan. 13, 1862.
Dec 17 1861

June 22, 1864.
*June 22, 1862.
June 22 1864

White, Cvrua M . . . .
White Ira M

Wardsboro . .
Wardsboro

23
22

Dec. 16,1861.
Dec 13 1861

June 22, 1864.
June 22 1864

Wood AndrewJ

23

Dec 14 1861

HJuly 27 1862

RECRUITS.
Bergin, Geo. I) . .

Total

97
21

Dec 11 1863

June 28 1865

Bissell Lucius W

30

Dec 30 1863

Julv 17 1865

Brimhall, Fred F

18

Dec 22 1863

June 28* 1865

Brown Benj. P

37

Feb 14 1865

June 28 1865

Brown, Marvin M

19

Dec 17 1863

June 28* 1865

Brown Lansford H .

21

Dec 10 1863

§Mav 24 1865

Butler, Herbert J

18

Jan 4, 1864

ITJuiy 13' 1864

Booth, -William

38

Jan 6 1865

June 28, 1865

Bartlett, Milton E .

23

Feb 6 1865

June 28 1865

Bates, Frankford H

25

Sept 12 1864

Mav 22 1865

Canedy, Simon . .

18

Jan 2 1864

June 28 1865.

Church, Krastus 3)

19

Dec 18 1863

June 28 1865

Cook, Palmedus F

18

Jan 16, 1865

June 28 1865

Davis, Henry F

18

Sept 3 1862

June 28 1865

Perry, Ormando C .

29

Dec 4 1863

June 28, 1865

Eaton Chauncv C

22

Dec 17 1863

June 28 1865

Fish, Walter W . .

44

Dec. 4 1863

$ April 25, 1864

Frasa, Joseph .

28

June 25 1862

May 25 1865

Frascovia James

29

Jan 7 1863

June 28 1865

Graves, Joseph J) .

29

Dec 10 1863

June 28 1865

Greene Luther A

Feb 25 1863

Greene, Edward H

18

Feb 10 1865

June 28 1865

Harlow, Horace

38

Feb 16 186')

July 1 1865

Holland, Chas. H

23

Sept 1 1864'

June 1 1865

Hooper, James . .

39

Jan 5 1865

June 28 1865

Jackson, Willis .

24

Aug 30 1863

Uune 10 1864

Jenkins, Herbert W

23

Sept 12 1864

June 1 1865

Kelley, Frank J . .

18

Feo 13* 1865

June 28 1865

Kidder, Washburn A

20

Sept 1 1864

June 1 1865

Kilburn, Nathaniel A

22

Sept 5 1864

§Mar. 11 1865.

Lee, Alfred A . .

18

Dec 16 1863

June 28 1865

Lee Anson W

31

Dec 18 1863

June 28 1865

Lincoln, Matthias

19

Dec 19 1863

§April 6 1864.

Lewis, Edwin E . .
Marlboro Thomas

21
19

Feb. 9, 1865.
Apr 29 1864

June 28, 1865.
June 28 1865

Martin Anselni

17

May 21, 1862

June 28 1865

19

July 4 1862

June 1 1865

18

Dec 31* 1863

June 28 1865

Parsons, Wm H .

18

Feb 13 1864

June 28, 1865

Pierce, Geo H

23

Dec 10 1863

June 28 1865

Prouty Fred M

18

Dec 1 1863

2 June 28 1865

•Killed at Raceland. tD.eserted. ^Discharged for promotion in 2d La. Volunteers. §I)ied
of disease. || Wounded June 22, and died above date. ITDied on steamer for Washington.
IColored cook ; died of disease. 2Drummer.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.
COMPANY H. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Enlistment.

Date of

Discharge.

18

Dec 19 1863

June 28 1865

20

Feb 13 1865.

May 23, 1865

18

Jan 26 1865

June 2* 1865

Pratt Geo "M

2G

Feb 8 1865

June 28, 1865.

21

Sept 2 1864.

June 1, 1865

20

Aug. 30, 1864.

*Date unkn'wn

Reed Wm H

28

July 3 1862

tNov 20 1864

26

Dec. 7 1»63.

June 28 1865.

23

Jan 7 1863

June 28 1865

Russell Obidiah X

23

Aug 4 1*64.

June 1, 1865.

Rvder Robert

31

Feb 6. 1865.

Feb. 6, 1S65.

GO

May 21 1862

"July 6 1864

Smith William

60

Aug. 30, 1863.

SJune 28, 1865.

Smith William

20

May 21,1862

j| Promoted

29

Sept. 10, 1862.

June 1, 1865.

18

Aug 26 1864

June 1 1865

Stocker Daniel M

20

Sept 1 1864.

June 1, 1865

19

Aug. 28 1864

June 1 1865

25

Feb 13, 1865

June 28, 1865.

Wellman Merrill W

18

Dec 14 1*63

June 14 1865

William's Geo A

23

Jan. 5 1864

May 13, 1865

Williams John

17

Aug 30 1863

§Jiine 28 1865

Wood Albert P

21

Dec 3, 1863

June 28, 1865.

Wray Oscar H

18

Feb 22, 1865

*April 8 1865

White Cyrus M

23

Sept 1 1864

June 1, 1865

White' G'eo A

23

Sept. 1, 1864.

June 1, 1865.

Total
Aggregate . . .

67
164

COMPANY I, MARLBORO.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Commission.

Date of
Discharge.

Capt., Wm. W. Lynde . . .
1st Lieut., Geo. N. Holland .
2d Lieut., Joshua C. Morse .

Marlboro . . .
Newfaiie . . .
Newfane . . .

34

27
30

Jan. 17, 1862.
Jan. 17, 1862.
Jan. 17, 1862.

HOct. 18,1862.
liOct. 25, 1862.
11 July 10, 1863.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

SERGEAXTS.
1st., Geo. E. Selleck ....
Edward R. Pratt
Oscar W. Richardson . . .
Thomas F. Betterly ....
Lewis Brayman

CORPORALS.
Edward P. Gregory ....
Bonaparte Hudson ....
Rufus C Thorn

Brattleboro
Putney . .
Brattleboro
Newfane
Marlboro .

Guilford .
Newfane
Guilford

27
23
28
24

35
20
26 '

Dec. 7, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Nov. 26, 1861.

Jan. 4, 1862.
Nov. 30, 1861.
Nov 21 1861

Feb. 26, 1865.
Uune 14, 1863.
2June 22, 1864.
JJune 31, 1863.
Feb. 1863,

June 22, 1864.
*May 24, ?862.
June 28 1865

Henry H. Black . . .

Putney

20

Nov 9 1861.

Feb 28 1863

Francis E. Warren ....
Otis L. Brown
Lewis H. Lamb

Newfane
Putney
Wilmington

23
21

18

Dec. 23, 1861.
Dec. 11, 1861.
Dec 16 1861

June 28, 1865.
April 16, 1864.
3Oct 19 1864

Walter J. Parker . .

Putney "

18

Dec 9 1861

June 28 1865

*Died of disease. tDied from wounds received at Cedar Creek Oct. 19, 1864. JDeserted.
Colored cook. ([Promoted in 2d La. Volunteers. ^Resigned. IKilled at Port Hudson.
Dlerk at headquarters 19th Army Corps. SKilled at Cedar Creek.

312

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY I. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

MUSICIANS.
Geo F. Plummet . .

Marlboro .

17

Dec 2 1861

June 98 1865

William F. Forbush ....

WAGONER.
Benjamin F. Davis ....

PRIVATES.

Newfane. . . .
Brattleboro . .
Newfane

15
34
25

Jan. 13, 1862.
Jan. 4, 1862.
Dec 11 1861

July 15, 1862.
July 15, 1862.
Tnnp 22 18fU

Arling Solomon S .

Dover .

34

Dec s' 1861

*July 23 1863

Baldwin, Alpbonzo D . . .
Baldwin, Henry G . .

Dover
Dover . .

18
23

Dec. 30, 1861.
Dec. 17 1861

June 22J 18641
June 2^ 1864

Bartlett, Clarence A ...
Bemis, Leonard C ....
Betterly, Alfred A ....
Betterly, Geo. S

Newfane. . . .
Newfane . . .
Newfane .

19
36
19
19

Feb. 7; 1862.
Nov. 30, 1861.
Nov. 29, 1861.
Nov. 30 1861

June 28^ 186sl
tApril 25, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
May 4 1863

Betterly, Gilbert W . . . .
Bishop Geo J

Newfane. . . .
Marlboro

18
19

Jan. 13, 1862.
Dec. 7 1861

July le', 1862*.

•(-

Black James F . .

18

Nov 21 1861

^Sept 19 1864

Blashtield, Henry C . . . .
Bolan Patrick . .

Newfane. . . .

18
20

Dec. 2, 1861.
Feb 7 1862

{Jane 14* 1863*.
June 28 1865

Brown, Clark ....

Newfane . .

23

Dec 3* 1861

July 17 1863

Brown Frank .

18

Jan 16 1862

Sept 21* 1863*

Putney

20

Dec 11, 1861

June 28 1865

Burrows, Geo. P
Carlton, Byron
Carpenter, Elon B . . . .
Carr Michael . . ...

Guilford. . . .
Newfane ....

22
18
18
31

Dec. 14, 1861.
Feb. 7, 1862.
Dec. 2, 1861.
Dec 20 1861

June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 6 1863

Cattley, Andrew
Charter, Samuel . .

Guilford. . . .
Newfano . * *

21

32

Dec. 7, 1861.
Jan 16 1862

June 22, 1864.
I'June 22 1864

Church Henry

33

Dec 5 1861

Tune 2° 1864

Davis, Eros L
Davis Hiram .

Newfane ....

18
44

Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec 9 1861

UMar. 18, 1862.
July 15 1862

Dowes Henry W

Newfane .

18

Nov 28 1861

June 98 1865

Eddy, Geo. P
Fisher Edmund

Whitingham . .
Guilford

25
43

Dec. 9, 1861.
Jan 24 1862

June 28, 1865.
jSept 10 1864

Gates, Alvin

Newfane ....
Wilmington . .

21
31

Nov. 28, 1861.
Dec 17 1861

June 28, 1865.
June 22 1864

Gray Miron

18

Dec 17 1861

IMay 24* 1864

Gregory, Stephen .

Guilford . . .

44

Jan. 4 186^

*June °4 1863

Grover, Eleazer ....

Guilford ....

34

Feb. 2, 1862.

June 28 1865.

Hescock, Oscar B . . . .
Higley Elliott J

Marlboro

18
20

Dec. 12, 1861.
Dec 7 1861

2
Oct 15 186°

Hill Elbridge G ...

44

Feb. 7 1861?

*June 13 1863

Hines Isaac H

28

Nov 27 1861

June 28 1865

Hough ton, Charles E . . .
Howard, A rial
Howard, Wm. E . . . .

Marlboro . . .
Brattleboro . .
Brattleboro

22
38
23

Dec. 7, 1861.
Dec. 3, 1861.
Jan 25 1862

July 30,' 1863!
Feb. 2, 1864.
Oct 15 1862

Howe, John C ...

Brattleboro

18

Dec 28 1861

July 15 1862

Ingrain, Chas. E
Kerr Alonzo D . .

Newfane. . . .
Putney

18
23

Dec. 6, 1861.'
Nov 30 18(il

Sept. 30, 1863.

Newfane . .

27

Nov 27* 1861

*Mar 10, 1863

Leonard, Horace C .

Dover . .

18

Dec 7 1861

Oct 15 1862

Martin Daniel

18

Dec °7 1861

June 28 1865

Merrill, Eleazep D . . . .
Mor*, Luke J
Movnehein, Humphrey . .
Park Otis

Newfane. . . .
Brattleboro . .

43
23
26
20

Nov. 7, 1861.
Nov. 27, 1861.
Jan. 1, 1862.
Dec 6 1861

Feb. 28J 1863.
June 2'J, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
Nov 1863

Peavey, Augustus C. . . .
Phillips, Chas. F

Newfane ....
Putney ....
Halifax .

18
18
36

Nov. 30* 186l!
Nov. 28, 1861.
Nov. 12, 1861.

Nov. 28, 1862.
3Oct. 19, 1864.
Aug. 14 1864.

Prouty Harvey

Marlboro

32

Nov 12 1861

June °8 1865

Head Charles

18

Dec 2 1861

fMar 1 1864

*Died of disease. tTransferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. ^Killed at Winchester. §Killed
at Port Hudson. ||Wagoner. TDied on ship Wallace. IDeserted. 2Date of discharge not
given. SKilled at Cedar Creek.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.
COMPANY I. — Continued.

313

Name.

Residence. •

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Rice Orrin L

Wardsboro . . .

18

Dec. 26, 1861.

*Aug. 21, 1862.

Rice, Romauzo G
Richardson, Thomas . . .
Sawyer, Willard W . . . .

Smith Almoii S . . .

Wardsboro . . .
Wilmington . .
Putney ....

22
28
18
21

Dec. 12, 1861.
Dec. 29, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec. 9 1861.

June 28, 1865.
Jan. 1863.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.

Smith, Amos F

Marlboro . . .
Putney ....

30

18

Dec. 3, 18(1.
Dec. 9 1861.

July 30, 1863.
June 28, 1865.

Smith Henry J .

Putney ....

19

Dec 9 1861.

June 28 1865.

Smith, Homer E
Smith William

18
43

Dec. 8, 1861,

Feb 7 1862

June 28, 1865.
t

Strattcm, Asa H . . .

Newfane. . . .

22

Jan 16, 1862.

June 22, 1864.

Sullivan, Timothy ....
Thomas, Albert H . . . .
Tooley David A .

Whitingham . .

18
39
43

Feb. 8, 1862.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec 9 1862

$Dec. 2, 1863.
§Mar. 1, 1864.
*Aug 30, 1863.

Tyler, Stephen M
Tyler Lewis A .

Wardsboro

28
24

Feb. 7, 1862.
Dec 3 1861

June 22, 1864.
July 15, 1862.

Ward Austin H . . . .

Brattleboro . .

21

Dec. 7, 1861

June 28, 1865.

Warner, Frank R . . . .
Webster, Oscar N . . .
Wheeler, Allen INI ...
Whittaker, Foster S . .
Whitney, Porter J . . .
Wood Chester N . .

Newfane. . . .

Marlboro . . .
Marlboro . . .
Brattleboro . .

22
27
18
23
21
20

Jan. 13, 1862.
Dec. 3, 1861.
Dec. 18, 1861.
Nov. 22, 1861.
Dec. 7, 1861.
Feb 10 1862.

June 28, 1865.
Oct. 15, 1862.
tMay 18, 1864.
June 22, 1864.
HJune 11, 1863.
June 28, 1865.

Wood Lewis A . . .

Brattleboro .

18

Feb 6 1862

*Aug 17 1863.

Woodman, John P . . . .
Worden Alfred S .

Brattleboro . .
Marlboro . . .

28
21

Jan'. 1, 1862.
Dec 9 1861

June 28, 1865.
June 28 1865.

Worden, Francis N ....

Marlboro . . .

18

Dec. 19, 1861.

*June 23, 1862.

RECRUITS.
Bartlett Justin

Total

101
44

Dec 28 1 863

June 28 1865

Bin<*ham Albert H

21

Jan 2 1864

tjuly 14 1864

29

Dec' 9* 1863

June 28 1865.

Blood Cha's J

20

Dec 4 1863

USept 19' 1864

33

May 20' 1862

£Dec 3 1862

39

Jan 2 1864

June 28 1865

Brown Chas F

27

Dec 7 1863

June 28 1865

20

Jan 4 1864

*Sept 3 1864

43

Sept 1 1864

June 1 1865.

Bell Henry C .

oo

Feb 13 1865

June 28, 1865.

26

Sept 3 1864

June 1 1865

Brown Clark L

26

March 6 1865

June 28, 1865.

Colburn Elbridge G

18

Dec 31 ' 1863

June 28 1865

Carroll Henry W

21

Feb 14 1865

*June 19 1865.

Davi6* Charles

23

Dec 3 1863

June 98 1865.

Davis Solomon .

39

March 4 1865

June 98, 1865.

Dunklee Willard S .

37

Sept. 7 1864

*Mar 17, 1865.

Estabrooks Sidney J

19

Aug 11 1864

June 28 1865.

Fairbanks Wayland E

21

Dec 24 1863

*Jan °5 1865.

Fletcher, Joseph W ,

21

Jan 1 1864

May 26 1865.

Ford Albro V B

20

Dec 29 1863

June 28 1865.

Fitts Elmer

26

Sept l' 1864'

June 1 1865.

Fox Sylvester

18

May °1 1864

June °8 1865.

Glidden Milo H

23

March 15* 1865*

JJune 1 1865.

35

^ept 5 1864

June 1 1865.

Hagar Daniel W

18

Dec 4 1863

June 28, 1865.

Hill Herbert E

17

Dec 9 1863

June ^8 1865.

Houghton Bradley Jr

°7

Dec os' 1863

May 25 1865.

Howard, George . .

18

Dec. 28* 1863

June 28, 1865.

Hall, Emery W

18

Feb 7 1865

June 28, 1865.

Higley, Wrn M

35

Sept 7 1864

June 1 1865.

Ingram, Chas. E . .

21

Aug* 10* 1864.

May 13 1865.

Ingram John H . .

19

Aug 15 1864

June 28 1865

*Died of disease. tDied at New Orleans. tDeserted. §Transferred to Veteran Reserve
Corps. || Killed at Port Hudson. HKilled at Winchester.

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY I. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Ingram Jonathan M

38

Aug. 10 1864

June 28 1865

18

Dec 21 1863

*Sept 19 1864

Johnson Luther R

18

Dec. 21 1863.

July 31 1865

27

Mar 15 1865

tJune 1 1865

Jones Emory S

18

Sept 1 1864.

June 1, 1865

23

Mar 11 1865.

Kerr Warren W

21

Dec 10 1863

May 25 1865

21

Sept 25 1863

June 28* 1865

Kelley, John D

18

Feb. 10', 1865

June 28, 1865

King Wallace D .

25

Mar 8, 1865

June 28 1865

Kirk, John .

19

Feb. 10, 1865.

June 28, 1865.

Kirk Richard

19

Feb 6 -1865.

June 28 1865

"

07

May 20 Is69

tDec 3 1862

Leonard, John

25

July 24 1862.

tAug. 2 1863

May Sidney L

19

Dec 21 1863

June 28 1865

Mills. Alonzo

21

Dec 24, 1863.

§Oct. 19, 1864

Mills Daniel B

22

Dec 12 1863

June 28 1865

Myers, Jacob

27

Aug 6, 1862

tJuly 5 1864

18

Dec 5 1863

June 28, 1865

Parker, Solomon S

19

Aug. 30, 1862.

HJurie 28, 1865.

Parsons Samuel L

31

Dec 22 1863

Nov 16 1864

Phillips, Hiram O

23

Dec 15, 1863.

HJune 28, 1864.

Phinney Detroit

26

Jan 2, 1864

June °s 1865

Pierce, Walter W

Dec. 6, 1863

*Sept. 19, 1864.

Plummer Geo F

Mar 1, 1864.

No record.

* '

16

July 2 1862

June 1 1865

Perkins John Vansl

v

21

Mar. 15 1865

June 28 1865

Plumb Ezra W

29

Sept 5 1864

June 1 1865

Powers Lewellyn

19

Feb 10 1865

June 17, 1865.

•

19

Sept 6 1864

UMar 11 1865

Shelley Leroy

21

Sept. 24 1863

June 28, 1865.

25

Aug 30 1863

ljune 11 1864

Stearns Henry M

19

Dec. 14, 1863

June 28, 1865.

Steward William

30

Aug 30 1863

Uuly 5 1864.

Townshend Lewis J

' "

23

Dec 16 1863.

June 2 1864.

Whitney James P

18

Dec 10 1863

June 28 1865.

Warner James M

22

Sept. 5 1864.

June 28, 1865.

'

20

Feb 6, 1865

June 28, 1865

Williams, Geo C .

* '

18

Sept. 6, 1864.

June 28, 1865

Woodcock A bra H

21

Mar 4 1865

June 28, 1S65.

Total . . .

73

Aggregate . . .

174

COMPANY K, LUNENBURG.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of

Commission.

Date of
Discharge.

Capt., John S. Clark . . .
1st Lieut., Adoni'm J. Howard
2d Lieut., Geo. F. French

Lunenburg . .
Brighton . . .
Lunenburg . .

39
29
31

Jan. 22, 1862.
Jan. 22, 1862.
Jan. 22, 1862.

2Mar. 20, 1863.
UNov. 18, 1862.
3 June 21, 1863.

*Killed at Winchester. tDeserted. t Dishonorably discharged. §Killed at Cedar Creek.
HColored cook. HDied of disease. IColored cook, deserted. 2Died at Hospital Hotel Dieu,
New Orleans. 3Resigued.

ORIGIN A L ROS TER.
COMPANY K. — Continued.

315

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

SERGEANTS.
1st. Andrew J. Sargent . .
Marshall W. Wright . . .
Perry Porter, Jr

Barnet ....

Lunenburg . '.
Sutton ....
Gran by ....

28
22
19
26

.
Feb. 13,1862.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Jan. 1, 1862.
Dec. 16,1861.

Feb. 26, 1865.
July 5, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
Feb. 26, 1865.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

CORPORALS.
Albert Hill
Myron C. Newton . . .
George D. Oilman . . .
Alonzo L. Ford . .
John Petrie .... . .
Channcev M. Snow . . .
George W Hill

Concord ....
Lunenburg . . .
Brighton . . .
Granby ....
Brighton . . .
Lunenburg . . .

32
29
31
24
22
25
20

Dec. 19, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec. 23, 1861.
Dec. 14, 1861.
Dec. 23, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec. 9, 1861.

July 5, 1862.
July 5,1862.
June 22,1864.
*Sept. 3, 1863.
tOct. 21,1864.
June 22, 1864.
June 28, 1865.

John Elkins ....

Sheffield .....

26

Jan. 16, 1862.

June 28, 1865.

MUSICIANS.
Nathan C. Cheney ....
Martin J. Pond ....

Lunenburg . . .
Lunenburg . . .

35
35

Dec. 9, 1861.
Dec 9, 1861.

tOct. 21,1864.
Oct. 23, 1862.

WAGONER.
Wesley H. Day ....

PRIVATES.
Adams, Geo. S
Aldrich Hosea

Lunenburg . . .

Lunenburg . . .
Concord ....

22

23
19

Dec. 9, 1861.

Jan. 13, 18G2.
Dec. 27, 1861.

JJuly 12, 1863.

June 22, 1864.
June 22, 1864.

Al.lrich, John H
Babb Richard . . .

Concord ....
Charleston . .

18
18

Dec. 25, 1861.
Jan. 9, 1862.

*Mar. 18, 1863.
June 28. 1865.

Bacon, Geo. W
Barnes David A .

Brattleboro . .

44
43

Feb. 10, 1862.
Feb. 15, 1862.

July 5, 1862.
July 5, 1862.

Bartlett, Chas. W ....
Bates, Geo D

Guildhall . . .
Guildhall .

18
19

Jan. 18, 1862.
Jan. 18, 1862

*Nov. 29, 1862.
*Nov. 9, 1862

Bigelow, Lewis F
Blake Edga1" R ...

Brighton . . .
Barton

22

18

Jan. 1, 1862
Dec. 25 1861

June 28, 1865.
July 5, 1862

Bovce, John W . . .
Boyce, Richard T . .
Bunker, William B . .
Burt, Chas C . . . .
Buzzell, Solon D . . .
Carroll, Charles R . .
Chase Wm. E

Granby ....
Granby ....
Newark ....
Lyndon ....
Granby ....
Newark ....
Lunenburg . . .

18
44
32
23
25
21
18

Jan. 4, 1862.
Jan. 1, 1862.
Feb. 10, 1862.
Jan. 1, 1862.
Jan. 3, 1862.
Feb. 10, 1862.
Dec. 9, 1861.

*Mar. 1, 1-62.
April 13, 1862.
April 15. 1864.
July 5, 1862.
*April 29, 1862.
§Sept. 4,1862.
||

Chene}7 Charles . .

Lunenburg . .

43

Dec. 9 1861.

June 22, 1864.

Cheney, Frank
Cheney Nelson

Burke ....
Luneuburg .

18
28

Jan. 1, 1862.
Dec. 9, 1861

July 5, 1862.
June 22 1864

Burke ....

25

Jan. 6, 1862.

*July 6, 1863.

Coolbeth, Ransom ....

Lowell ....

18
24

Nov. 19, 1861.
Feb 17 1862

ITJuly 30, 1865.
§Sept 4 1862

Croteau, Joseph

Lyndon ....

20

Jan. 10 1862

*June 18 1862

Charleston . .

39

Jan 10 1862

Feb 28 1863

Lunenburg .

20

Jan. 20 1862

June 28 1865

Drown, Charles
Drown Geo W ...

Concord ....
Concord .

20
24

Jan. 30, 1862.
Jan 20 1862.

1 June 23, 1864.
2June 23 1864.

Dun ton, Geo. W . .
Durlam, Jonathan L
Eastman, Alfred W .
Fairbanks, Deming D
Farnham, Chas. H .

Lunenburg . . .
Concord ....
Concord ....
Newark ....
Victory ....

25
38
31
21

18

Jan. 22, 1862.
Dec. 23, 1861.
Jan. 4, 1862.
Feb. 10, 1862.
Dec. 7, 1861.

*Nov. 1, 1863.
HFeb. 1864.
June 22,1864.
June 22, 1864.
*Sept. 4,1862.

*Died of disease. tWounded at Cedar Creek, Oct. 19, and died on above date. $ Wounded
at Port Hudson July 7, 1863, and died on above date. §Killed at Bayou des Allemands.
HDied at Algiers, La. ^Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps. IWounded at Port Hudson,
May 27, 1863, and discharged above date. 2Sick at New Orleans.

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY K. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Gordon John G . . .

Newark

21

Feb 10 1862

*July 8 1863

Griffin Otis E

21

Jan 6 1862

*Aug 14 1863

Grow, Cbas. H .

19

Nov 30 ' 1861

*Aug 5 1862

Hart Wm A

18

Jan 8 1862

June 28* 1865

Hartwell, Chas. W .
Hartwell, James S .
Hartwell, Sylvester .
Hawkins, Walter W
Howard, Barzilla P .
Hudson Wm. C

Brighton . . .
Lunenburg . . .
L iinen burg . . .
Johnson ....
Brighton . . .
Newark

27
22
18
18
20
21

Jan. 28, 1862.
Jan. 21, 1862.
Dec. 23, 1861.
Nov. 11, 1861.
Dec. 23, 1861.
Jan 8 1869

July 5, 1862.
*Nov. 5, 1862.
June 28, If65.
June 28, 1865.
June 22, 1864.
*May 7 1863

Hunter, Harrison . . .
Ingalls Lewis J .

Lyndon ....
Belvidere

2i
23

Jan.' 1, 1662!
Nov 2 1861

June 22^ 1864.
June 28 1865

Jenkins, Willis

Burke

35

Dec 23* 1861

*July °3 1862

Jewell Wm. H

91

Jan °1 1862

1863

Leary, Joseph

Derby

18

Feb. 11 1862.

tSept 4, 1862.

Leonard, Willis R ....
McQuade, Thomas ....
Morse Geo. W . .

Albany ....
Derby ....
Brighton

18
21
20

Nov. 21,1861.
Dec. 27, 1861.
Jan 28 1862

June 28, 1865.
June 22,1864.
June 22 1864

Mooney, Otis G ....

Lunenburg

18

Dec. 20* 1861.

jMay 18, 1864

Olcott John C

18

Dec 0 1861

Mar 14 1863

Parker, Levi H

Lunenburg .

21

Jan. 13, 1862

June 28 1865

Parker, Oramel H . . . .
Peavey, Geo W

Burke ....

25
33

Jan. 1, 1862.
Feb 15 1862

*Nov. 6, 1802.
April 1864.

Perham, Lyman F . . . .
Perry Jamon . . .

Brighton . . .
Charleston . .

32
19

Jan. 4, 1862.
Jan. 10 1862

§Oct. 19, 1864.
July 5 1862

Petrie William

Brighton

19

Jan 11 1862

HJune 28 1865

Phillips, John C . .

Lunenburg .

30

Jan. 7 1862.

Oct 15, 1862

Pierce Ezra S . .

28

Jan 9 1862

June 92 1864.

Pond, Eben

Lunenburg . .

31

Dec. 9 1861

IT June 12 1863.

Presbrey, Charles F . . . .
Price Edward ....

Lunenburg . . .
Brighton .

19

22

Jan. 21, 1862.
Jan 11, 1862

Feb. 22, 1863.
June 22, 1864.

Raymond, Arthur M . . .
Roseblade, Henry ....
Ryder John A .

Brighton . . .
Coventry .

18
18
18

Feb. 1, 1862.
Feb. 17, 1862.
Feb 12 1862.

jMay 18, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 22 1864

Granby ....

20

Dec. 9 1861

June 28, 1865.

Shores, George W ....
Shores, Paschal P . .
Silsby, Wm. H
Simons Solon L . . .

Granby ....
Granby ....
Westmore . . .
Lunenburg . . .

22
18
25
19

Jan. 1,1862.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Jan. 1, 1862.
Dec 2 1861.

July 5, 1862.
§Oct. 19, 1864.
June 28,1865.
June 28, 1865.

Smith James W

Newark . .

23

Feb. 3 1862.

June 28, 1865

Smith, Rufus D
Spencer, Orange C . . . .
Stoddard, Hollis K .

Newark ....
Westmore . . .
Burke ...

18
18
21

Jan. 10, 1862.
Feb. 10, 1862.
Jan 1, 1862.

April 12, 1864.
June 22, 1864.
Nov. 25, 1862.

Stone Chas F . . .

Guildhall

°0

Jan. 18 1862

tSept. 4, 1862.

Strout, Hooper D
Thomas, Joseph W . . . .
Vaunce, Warren E . . . .
White Alanson . . .

Brighton . . .
Concord ....
Lunenburg . . .

23
18
34
°9

Jan. 7, 1862.
Jan. 7, 1862.
Dec. 9, 1861.
Jan. 2, 1862

Oct. 23, 1862.
July 5, 1862.
Oct. 15, 1862.
July 16 1862.

Woodruff Henry

18

Jan. 1, 1862

*July 4, 1863.

Woodsum, John E . . . .

Brighton . . .

25

Dec. 27, 1861.

June 22, 1864.

RECRUITS.

Total

101

28

Dec. 29 1863

Mar 10, 1864.

Ball Frederick

16

Dec 1 1863

*July 25 1864

22

Dec 30 1863.

June 28, 1865.

19

July 10 1862

June 1 1865

25

Nov 1, 1863.

Uune 28, 1865.

Burk Julius W

25

July 7, 1862

jMay 18 1864.

Barber I^aac H

23

Feb 11 1865

June 28, 1865.

Bedell Charles

17

Feb 14 1865

June 28 1865.

*Died of disease. fKilled at Bayou des Allemauds. ^Deserted. §Killed at Cedar Creek.
HFifer. UKilled at Port Hudson. IColored cook.

ORIGINAL ROSTER.
COMPANY K. — Continued.

317

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enlistment.

Date of
Discharge.

Bigelow, Horace P . . . .

21
19
22
22
33
32
21
22
25
21
21
20
18
26
21
20
18
20
18
20
18
32
39
21
19
19
29
25
26
16
28
18
19
18
18
18
34

37
22
18
18
19
21
37
19
21
29
27
34
22
24
18
45
19
22
21
19
18
25

21

Feb. 11, 1865.
March 7. 1865.
Dec. 15, 1863.
Dec. 1. 1863.
Jan. 4, 1864.
Jan. 24, 1865.
Jan. 6, 1865.
Jan. 4, 1864.
March 27, 1865.
Dec. 24, 1864.
Aug. 6, 1864.
Jan. 13, 1865.
Dec. 21, 1863.
Sept. 24, 1864.
Jan. 23, 1865.
Dec. 5, 1863.
Nov. 25, 1863.
Dec. 1,1863
Dec. 3, 1863.
Jan. 23, 1865.
Feb. 21, 1865.
July 11, 1862.
Dec. 30, 1863.
Jan. 6, 1865
Jan. 3, 1865.
Feb. 11, 1865.
Dec. 18, 1863.
Feb. 6, 1865.
Feb. 8, 1862.
Dec. 18, 1863.
July 9, 1862.
Aug. 5, 1864.
Feb. 20, 1865.
May 3, 1864.
Nov. 27, 1863.
Jan. 4, 1864.
Dec. 25, 1863.
Dec 8, 1862.
Jan. 4, 1864.
March 10, 1865.
Feb 14, 1865.
Jan. 12, 1865.
Sept. 12, 1864.
Sept. 6, 1864.
Dec. 31, 1863.
Dec. 3, 1863.
July 7, 1862.
Feb. 1, 1863.
Sept. 5, 1*64.
Feb. 11, 1865.
Dec. 30, 1863.
Nov. 30, 1863.
Jan. 2, 1864.
Dec. 23, 1863.
Feb. 11, 1865.
Feb. 16, 1865.
Feb. 20, 1865.
Feb. 20, 1865.
Feb. 11, 1865.
Dec. 28, 1864.
No record.
May 19, 1862.

June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 18, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
*June 22, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
May 26, 1865.
June 29,1865.
*Mar. 24, 1865.
No record.
June 1, 18G5.
fNo date given
*July 16 1864.
JJuly 15, 1865.
June 29, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
*May 18, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
SSept. 4, 1862.
June 28, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
II Nov. 16, 1864.
June 28,1865.
June 28, 1865.
*July 28, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
*July 5, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 12, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
tApril 18, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
*Mav 18, 1864.
*May 18, 1864.
June 28, 1865.
June 1, 1865.
June 2*, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
HOct. 19, 1864.
June 9, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
May 13, 1865.
*Mar. 24, 1865.
June 28, 1865.
ISept. 19, 1864.

Cheney, Leonard C . . . .

Carbo, Joseph

Douglas, Franklin B ...
Daniels, Hiram S . . . . .

Drown, Noah, Jr

French' Geo W

Goodall Willard

Goodell, Almond C . . . .
Grant Albert D

Hetzel Paul

Hungerford, David A ...

Jackson, Jonathan W . . .

Leed ' Gilbert

Lucas, Franklin M . . . .

Martin, Benjamin S . . . .
Miles, Joseph O
Mor^e Abial T

Morsini Ernest .

Murrill Patrick

Morse Geo W

Morton, Marshall F . . . .
Mulligan, Edward ....
Nutter Henry B

Olcott, Brainerd S ....

Penfleld, Sam'l T
Placette Pierre

Phea^e Philip

Pottle 'Andrew J

Preston, George
Eoberts, Abel C
Roberts, Perley P ....
Russell, Franklin ....
Russell, Hiram
Rav. Albert
Robinson, John
Round, Julius S
Round, Stephen D . . . .
Rounds, "Watson
Ryan, James
Ryder, John A
Scheikert, Simon

*Deserted. tDied of disease. ^Transferred to Veteran Reserve Corps, June 15, 1864, and
mustered out on above date. §Killed at Bayou des Allemands. || Wounded at Cedar Creek Oct.
19, 1864, and died on above date. HKilled at Cedar Creek. 1 Wounded at Winchester.

THE EIGHTH VERMONT.
COMPANY K. — Continued.

Name.

Residence.

Age.

Date of
Enystment.

Date of
Discharge.

Silsby Charles

33

Dec 10 1863

*Mar 27 1864

Simpson, Sewall .

19

Dec. 30 1863

June 28 1865

Silsbv Almont

18

Feb 93 1865

June ''8* 1865

Silshv, Geo. H . .

18

Sept. 9, 1864.

June 1 1865

Sleeper James M

21

Jan 23 1865

June 28 1865

Thomas, Lewis

25

Dec l' 1863

*Oct 16* 1864*

Thomas Oscar .

16

Dec 18 1863

June 28 ' 1865

Tillison, Stephen W

33

Feb 10 1865

June 28 1865

Turbush George

18

Dec 91 1863

June 28 1865

Ward Frank

24

July 7 1862

tMay 18 1864

West Franklin E

22

Jan 4 1864

June 28 1865

Wood Willard

23

March 6* 1869

July 5* 1862

Webb, Darwin A

19

Sept 13 1864

June 1 1865

Webb Frederick M

18

Feb 14 1805

June 28 1865

Webb, William H

20

Feb 21 1865

June 28 1865

Willson Melvin A

19

Sept 13 1864

May 13 1865

Wilson, John . .

25

Dec ' 9o' 1864

fMay 15 1865

Total
Aggregate . . .

87
188

*Died of disease. tDeserted.

RECAPITULATION. 319

RECAPITULATION.

Original members, Com. oft'. 36

En. men 980— Total 1016

GAIN.

Promotion, Fr. other regiments, Com. off. 2

Transfer, Fr. other regiments, En. men 2

Recruits, Appointed Com. off. 6

Enlisted men, 746— Total 752

Total gain 756

Aggregate 1772

LOSS.

Promotion to other regiments, Com. off. 1

To U. S. Army, Com. off. 2

En. men 34— Total 36

Total by promotion 37

Transfer, To Vet. Res. Corps, En. men 55

To Signal Corps, ,, „ 2

To regular army, ,, ,, 1

To org's of other States, ,, ,, 3

To other regiments, „ ,, I

Total by transfer 62

Death, Killed in action, Com. off'. 2

En. men 69— Total 71

Fr. w'ds rec. in act'n, Com. off'. 2

En. men 31— Total 33

Disease, Com. off. 6

En. men 207— Total 213

Prisoners, En. men 20

From accident, ,, ,, 8

Total by death 345

Discharge, Resignation, Com. oft'. 16

Disability, Com. off. 4

En. men 224— Total 228

For w'ds rec. in act'n, Com. off. 2

En. men 12— Total 14

Dishonorable, Com. oft'. 3

En. men 6— Total 9

Total by discharge 267

Deserted, 86

Dropped from rolls, 1

Not finally accounted for, 4

Total Loss 802

Mustered out of service, Com. off. 46

En. men 924— Total 970

Aggregate 1772

Total wounded 236

Total re-enlisted 321

APPENDIX.

MONUMENTS DEDICATED

IN THE

VALLEY OF THE SHENANDOAH

CEREMONIES AT WINCHESTER.

TWENTY-ONE years after the great battles of Winchester and Cedar
Creek, the survivors of the Union army, organized as " Sheridan's
Veterans' Association," and the veterans of Early's Confederate
army, held a re-union in the Shenandoah Valley. During that sojourn
amid the stirring scenes of the great conflict in arms, two monuments
were dedicated with appropriate ceremonies, in the erection of which
the Eighth Vermont Regiment took a special interest. They were
the beautiful and costly gifts of one of the youngest soldiers who served
in the Valley campaigns, a brave and patriotic comrade of the Eighth
Vermont, in whose youthful veins flowed the martial blood of two
great-grandfathers who fought and suffered under Gen. Washington.

Through this thoughtful generosity of the donor it happened that
the regiment which was so conspicuous for gallantry on the fields of
Opequon and Cedar Creek, and had the honor to charge and break
the enemy's lines, was also the first to mark those historic spots with
battle monuments. The custom of thus identifying the dates and
scenes of decisive battles is as old as history itself, and other engage
ments of the civil war had already been recorded in scriptured stone ;
but it was the happy thought of Col. Hill, who has been untiring in
his efforts to perpetuate the records of the great deeds of his own
regiment, to first plant in the Valley shafts of marble from the
quarries of his own adopted state, in honor of heroism displayed.

322 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

The monuments were furnished by ex-Gov. Redfield Proctor, at
the Vermont Marble Works in Rutland, and in style and finish are
appropriate to the purpose for which they were designed. The one
at Winchester stands about twelve feet high* and consists of a
prismoidal shaft on a solid plinth and base. It bears the following
inscription :

HONOR THE BRAVE.

ERECTED TO

Comtnejnorate the Bayonet Charge of the

EIGHTH VERMONT VOL'S.

Led by

GEN'L STEPHEN THOMAS,

Sept. 19, 1864.

Committed to the care of those once a
brave foe, now our generous friends.

Gift of Comrade
HERBERT E. HILL,

Boston, Mass.
Dedicated Sept. 79, iS8j.

It was a lovely September day just twenty-one years after the
famous battle, when this monument was dedicated in the presence of
a vast concoursj of people, including citizens from near and far, as
well as the assembled veterans of both armies. Nature wore her
gorgeous autumn apparel, the soft rustle of ripening harvests filled
the air, and a smile of universal peace brooded in the valley, when
the monument was presented in these words, by the donor :

ADDRESS OF COL. HILL.

Veterans of the Armies of U. S. Grant and R. E. Lee :

This is a memorable occasion. The surviving members, officers and
men, of the Eighth Vermont Regiment, are assembled to dedicate a monu
ment to mark the ground covered by that regiment in the famous bayonet
charge made twenty-one years ago this very afternoon. We have as wit-

PRESENTING THE GIFT. 323

nesses during this service, not only many brave sons of Vermont and sister
states who fought in the Union army, but also war-worn veterans who
served in the Confederate army. We are on historic and sacred ground ;
for on and near this spot the veterans of Sigel, Banks, Cook, and Sheridan
of the Federal armies, and Early, Ramseur, Gordon, and Stonewall Jackson
of the Confederate armies, have struggled at one time or other, in fearful
and bloody encounters from the first to the last of the civil war. The
Eighth Vermont, in erecting this monument, knows to-day no North, no-
South. This shaft speaks for American valor, and such valor is public
property, and belongs to the nation ; and while the heroic action of a Ver
mont regiment is designated, the Confederate veteran may proudly point to
this very spot, as proving his own bravery and heroism in contending in a
hand-to-hand conflict, an American himself, with an American.

It was on Sept. iQth, 1864, and the hosts of Early and Sheridan were
locked in battle's embrace. The Confederates had repulsed, and by gallant
counter-charges driven back, the Federals ; and the result hung trembling
in the balance, when Gen. Stephen Thomas, as brave an officer as ever
buckled a sword, on his own responsibility during this crisis ordered the
bayonet charge referred to, and rode himself with drawn sword in front of
the line of steel bayonets, recovering more than the lost ground, and hold
ing the same till the close of the battle. His charge proved to be the turn
ing-point of this great battle. But not for victory or defeat, but rather to
commemorate the lofty heroism of the regiment, and to mark the pathway
of desperate fighting, where noble men gave up their lives, is this monu
ment erected ; and with equal propriety should the Confederate veterans
mark the locality of gallant charges by their own troops.

As at Gettysburg, so here (where eleven battles were fought during the
war), where fighting raged fiercely, ought memorials to be erected, that the
residents of this beautiful valley, as well as the visitors from abroad, may
have no difficulty in locating the position of regiment or brigade which took
part in the far-famed contests which took place in and around this historic
city. And now, through you, General Stephen Thomas, president, I pre
sent this monument to the Association of the Eighth Vermont Volunteers.
May it ever stand in its purity before the generous citizens of the Shenan-
cloah Valley, a pleasant reminder of the fraternal and happy greetings of
veterans who fought during the war as only Americans could fight, but who,
when the war was over, shook hands as cordially as they had fought
fiercely.

This monument was cut from the Green Mountains of Vermont, and
chiselled at the extensive works of one of Vermont's governors, Colonel
Redfield Proctor, who commanded a Vermont regiment during the war.
As it left a scene of busy life and prosperity, so may it bring to the sacred
soil of Virginia nothing but good will and prosperity, a memorial of ever
lasting friendship and a reunited country.

324 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

General Stephen Thomas accepted the monument in behalf of
the regiment in the following words :

ADDRESS OF GEN. THOMAS.

Colonel Hill:

Sir, when I contemplate your youth, and that your patriotism led
you to enlist into the United States service when less than sixteen
years of age ; when I remember what a good, a faithful soldier you
were to the close of that great contest ; how you have travelled over the
battlefields of this our common country since the war, and like unto a
Christian have gathered the remains of fallen heroes which you found upon
those fields, and deposited them in national cemeteries ; and how true you
are and have been to the constitution and flag of our Union, and the great
brotherhood of man ; and how by industry and integrity you have risen
from the poor American soldier boy to be the American citizen of affluence ;
— now in looking upon this marble gift to your old regiment, which you
loved so well, I feel in accepting it, as I now do in behalf of the Eighth
Vermont Regiment, that I am unable to find words to suitably thank you.
But, sir, by these noble deeds you will leave a rich legacy to your kindred
and to mankind, who will remember you with gratitude when you shall have
joined our braves of the blue and the gray upon the other side of the river,
where wars and their horrors shall never arise, where sorrow and sighing
shall flee away.

Governor Ormsbee, sir, in behalf of the Eighth Vermont Regiment,
not only of the living, but in memory of those who fell upon this historic
field twenty-one years ago this day, and in gratitude for the peace and
good will which now prevails between Vermonters and Virginians, I
commit this matble monument, taken from our mountain home, to your
care, as the executive and representative of the Green Mountain state, in
the presence of this vast assemblage of the blue and gray, and of Him
at whose birth the " angels sung peace on earth, good will to man," with
the request that you ask our generous brethren of Virginia, in considera
tion of the patriotic, fraternal, and loyal spirit in which the donor, Colonel
Hill, gives this marble, that they will accept its care in the spirit in which
it is presented ; that it may stand as a token, like a " bow in the firma
ment," that this fair land shall never again be deluged in fraternal blood,
and that not only Vermonters and Virginians, but also the citizens of all
our states, shall live in peace down the long vista of coming centuries, until
after this marble shaft shall have crumbled into dust. In this request, and
in this spirit, I feel that I but speak the sentiments of the regiment, who
propose ever to "keep step to the music of the Union." And I trust you
will say they are the sentiments of the freemen of Vermont.

WORDS OF ACCEPTANCE. 325

Governor Onnsbee accepted the monument, in behalf of the stater
as follows :

ADDRESS OF GOV. ORMSBEE.

Sir, standing here on historic ground, in presence of loyal American
citizens, and in the presence of an assemblage of people who know no
North, no South, no East, no West, and who only know that they are
citizens of a great and justly proud nation, whose territory is boundless
as is their admiration for it, as the official representative of the state of
Vermont, and in her name, I cheerfully perform the duty devolving upon me.
How gratifying and fitting that under Providence you should be spared to
participate in these ceremonies ! How fitting and proper that to you should
have fallen the duty of receiving this priceless gift from the hands of our
brave and generous friend ! Sir, I am impressed with my inability to
express fittingly and in appropriate words the obligations of the state of
Vermont, and the gratitude of the people, to Colonel Hill, for the patriotic
and generous gift he has committed to your hands, and by you passed over
to the state to dedicate in memory of the patriotism of her soldier sons who
so nobly died upon this field twenty-one years ago to-day. This generosity
on the part of Colonel Hill deserves, and I trust will have further public
recognition and acknowledgment at the hands of the state. I am moved
to say, in the name of a grateful state, to you and Colonel Hill, and to each
and all of your comrades who took part in the event commemorated, this
monument is erected and dedicated to the memory and in honor of the
living participants as well as to your dead comrades. To you and them this
fact is of more concern and significance, and has much greater potency
and meaning, than any words of mine, could I fittingly express the deep
and lasting gratitude of our commonwealth. This monument, sir, is the
voice of the state to you and your comrades. If the state did not furnish
the tablet, she accepts and adopts it, and by and through it bears testimony,
and makes grateful acknowledgment of the valor of her sons engaged in
the event it commemorates.

Governor Ormsbee then addressed the representative of the mayor of
Winchester, asking that the care of the monument should be assumed
by him in behalf of the veterans of the Confederate army and the
citizens of Virginia, and closed in these words :

Sir, allow me to express our deep sense of thankfulness to your citizens
and to yourself, for the kindness and hospitality vou have lavished upon us
during our stay in your midst. It will be a pleasant realization to carry back
to our homes. I now, sir, leave this monument in the keeping of the sons
and daughters of Virginia, trusting it will stand here as a bond of unending
peace, confidence, and love ; and, in conclusion, let me express the wish

326 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

and hope, in behalf of the state of Vermont, and also in behalf of all our
soldier sons, living and dead, that the sons of Virginia who wore the gray
will receive and consider this monument in the same spirit with which
they have received and considered us who have placet! it upon their soil ;
and we entertain not a doubt that as to this their magnanimity will be
equalled only by their valor and bravery in battle, and with this we will be
thrice content.

Mayor Williams, of Winchester, was represented by Capt. John A.
Nulton, who had served with distinction in Stonewall Jackson's army,
and is a prominent citizen of the place. He pledged, in the name
of the Confederates, that this monument should stand as safely as
among the hills of Vermont, and he declared that they would guard
this shaft sacredly, and would never allow a single letter to be effaced
on its pure white surface. " Rather than allow it to be removed, we
would wish that it might be extended to the clouds, and that angels
of peace might hover around its summit, symbolical of the union
of friends now so firmly established between all sections in our land."

Col. George N. Carpenter, of Boston, was then introduced, and
gave the following dedicatory poem, which is inserted by request :

POEM OF COL. CARPENTER.

My muse, ere she attempt to sing
Of noble deeds, pauses to bring
A garland for the brow of one
Who in the ways of peace hath won
True honors from his fellow-men,
As worthily bestowed as when,
Girding his sword in army days,
He fronted death and conquered praise.
In his warm patriot embrace,
Each brother comrade has a place.
Here let the name be cherished ever,
Of Colonel Hill, the generous giver.

When Clio wrote on hist'ry's page
The deeds of men in classic age,
She wrought in most enduring art,
The scenes where valor played its part.
'T is not where peace in rosy bowers
Sleeps idly through the tranquil hours,
That glory's fiery beacons rise,

THE POETS TRIBUTE. $2?

The hero to immortalize ;
But eager millions stoop to read
The plaudits of each noble deed,
When tragic pens are dipped in red,
To write of wars and patriot dead.
The quiet feet of modest worth
Adorn the rugged paths of earth,
But fame's loud chariot o'er the plain
Rolls Caesar or a Charlemagne.
The land-locked waters softly chime,
Mid-ocean thunders are sublime.
June's languid breath can never play
The storm-pipe of a winter day.
'T is thus great battles seem to be
The mountain peaks of history,
From whose bold summits is defined
The way of progress for mankind.

Again upon the field we rest,

Where battle o'er the sloping crest

Did rage ; and now before us rise,

Like a mirage in western skies,

Reflecting in the mental air,

The picture of the battle's glare ;

When cannon spoke with heated breath,

Its ^inai decalogue of death ;

When rifles dropped their hail of lead,

Strewing the earth with maimed and dead.

The sloping hillsides and the wood

Drank up the flow of throbbing blood,

From wounds of heroes left to die,

While serried columns hurried by.

No teeth of dragons o'er this field

Were sown, that, sprouting, they might yield

A harvest-host of warriors brave

To fight their native land to save ;

But brothers of one household rose,

In deadly strife as mortal foes.

No oracle from Delphi spoke,
Before the sleeping camp awoke,
To prophesy the victor's name
To be immortalized by fame
At Winchester, that autumn day
Just one-and-twenty years away ;
But in the heart of every man
Led by Early or Sheridan,
Convictions came which all did feel, —

328 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

Each had a foenian worth his steel.
And when the voices of the night
Rose at the fading of the light,
They sang of valor's noble cost,
In the drear requiem of the lost.
Then o'er the field an angel white
Hovered, or seemed to waft in sight,
To laud brave men on either side,
The children of the nation's pride.
Ah ! not alone on Grecian plain,
Shall chiselled marble crown the slain,
Nor in the sculptured Parthenon,
Shall scriptures speak of victories won:
But here, 'neath southern skies, we raise
This marble record of the days
Heroic. Let it also tell
The story that in hearts doth dwell,
Of hate appeased, of wrath deplored,
Fraternal joy and love restored ;
A Union surer, since the hands
Of brothers tied its silken bands.

Cut from the everlasting hills

Of old Vermont, whose playful rills

Sing as they murmur toward the sea

A pastoral song of liberty,

Here let this marble be to-day,

A greeting to Virginia,

Whose noble history hath been

The admiration of all men ;

A pledge, as coming years increase,

Of kinship and enduring peace.

So let its quiet lesson teach

That patriot hands would heavenward reach,

To pluck a boon for all the brave

Who fought their liberties to save.

No more in malice or in strife,
Shall human hearts pulsate with life,
As here we breathe the southern air
Once more upon these fields so fair.
Not ours the hostile hand to raise,
Or voice to speak, except in praise ;
Nor where the sunshine seeks to play,
Shall angry clouds obscure the day.

We rear this stone to comrades slain,
Whose memory and deeds remain,

ELOQUENT CONCLUSION. 329

The monument of better things

Than war's victorious music sings,

A landmark in the history

Of an unbroken peace to be.

Around this sentinel of stone,

We sing the greater victory won,

How Gray and Blue here pledge anew

The fealty of brothers true.

And as in olden time a shrine

Did stimulate desires divine,

In after time this shaft shall be

Inspirer of true loyalty.

For, spanning all the arch of sky,

One bow of promise hangs on high,

O'er South and North. ' T is come to stay ;

The herald of a happier day,

Whose golden hours, from sun to sun,

Bear witness of new life begun.

Oh, gallant wearers of the gray,

To your kind custody to-day

Commit we now this sacred urn.

As beacon fires of sunrise burn

To guide the earth from darkling gloom,

And in fresh beauty make it bloom,

So from this place shall Honor rise

To lead mankind 'neath fairer skies,

And light the beacon of the free, —

A loyal, Christian chivalry.

After the poem, Col. John B. Mead gave a very interesting account
of the charge made at the battle of Winchester by the Eighth Ver
mont, pointing out the different positions which were held during the
morning, which were easily seen from the high point of ground where
the monument stands. His vivid description was deeply interesting
to all present. Capt. F. H. Buff urn, of the Fourteenth New Hamp
shire Regiment, closed the speaking with a short but eloquent address,
which thrilled the hearts of all who heard it, and was the theme of
praise throughout the camp. The following is an abstract of his
remarks :

There are historic episodes whose magnificent proportions can be seen
only from some high vantage ground. Rising from the long levels of
human history we find here and there such happy eminences. The colos
sal events identified with the progress of mankind must be contemplated
from^distance in order that their splendid proportions and sublime rela-

33° THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

tions may be adequately appreciated. We stand on vantage Around in
this hour. From the distance of more than two decades we gaze upon the
heroic spectacle whose vigor and moment spoke the word for this monu
ment to rise. The courage, the manhood of the Union soldier is here
peculiarly commemorated, and it is fitting that I should here add my testi
mony. Not a member of the Eighth Vermont, I yet enjoyed the distinc
tion of participating with you in this charge, and of observing your signal
bravery. On this very spot that remarkable charge culminated, and I feel
honored in having been selected to identify the spot and locate the monu
ment. On this field the sturdy attributes of Vermont's nobility shone forth
conspicuous and triumphant. Col. Hill, the generous donor of this shaft,
has added new lustre to your renown by this fitting tribute to your excellent
achievements.

Col. Thomas, I now grasp your hand on the very ground where, twenty-
one years ago to-day, you grasped mine and gave me the coveted benedic
tion of a brave commander. Valiant and. honored soldier, I was proud of
your notice and commendation years ago, in that hour of rising victory ; I
am unspeakably happy in the broader favor of your friendship in this hour
of sacred commemoration. We followed you then, and we cannot believe
that the leadership of such men can ever terminate. Wherever noble
deeds are yet to be done, wherever vital principles are trembling in the
balance, there such as you will lead, through all the ages ; nor will you lack
for faithful followers to swell your victorious columns.

The whole assembly then sung two stanzas of "America," led
by Mr. James L. Johnson, of Springfield ; after which Rev. J. E.
Wright, of Montpelier, pronounced the benediction, and the memorial
to the sons of Vermont was left to the chivalric care and custody of
the sons of Virginia.

L STIPMIK1

Soft. W, 1894

CextmiUed Uthe eon tfOuseinee a

bravi fn«, nem- fur grea*r<ms friends.

Gift tf Comrade

EEKiEKT I. BSfllLIL,

Hasten, Mas*.
Medicated Sept.

ANOTHER SCENE. 331

CEREMONIES AT CEDAR CREEK.

THE other gift of Col. Hill was erected on the spot where the
brigade led by Gen. (then Colonel) Thomas checked the advance of
the Confederate forces in the early morning of the igth of October,
1864, and where the Eighth Vermont suffered such terrible losses in
a hand-to-hand encounter with their foes. The description in given
in the presentation speech which follows, and the inscription upon
it reads :

" The Eighth Vermont Volunteers, General Stephen Thomas commanding
the brigade, advanced across this field on the morning of October 19, 1864,
engaged the enemy near and beyond this point, and before sunrise lost in
killed and wounded no men, three color-bearers were shot down, and
thirteen out of sixteen commissioned officers. Whole number of men en
gaged, 164. Dedicated September, 1885. Gift of Herbert E. Hill."

SPEECH OF COL. HILL.

Comrades of the Eighth Vermont, and Survivors of the Union and Con
federate Armies:

The battle of Cedar Creek was the most remarkable battle of the war.
Indeed, we may say there were two distinct battles during the day; and it
was in the first of these, on the morning of October 19, 1864, that one of
the most savage and bloody fights of the great civil war occurred on and
near this spot.

The Eighth Vermont, accompanied by the Twelfth Connecticut and One
Hundred and Sixtieth New York, led by Gen. Stephen Thomas, and by
direct verbal order of Major General Emory, crossed the pike at early dawn,
and marched into the very teeth of the war-trained veterans of Gordon's
and Kershaw's several divisions.

The solid block of Vermont marble, which we are assembled to-day
to dedicate, was purposely carved and fashioned on three sides in rough
to represent the savage and peculiar feature of that awful struggle.
It represents the regiment as it was surrounded at one time on three
sides by an excited foe, fresh from their great victory over Crook's Corps.
It represents the three color-bearers who were shot down in the terrible
hand-to-hand conflict and who died. It represents three fourths of the com
missioned officers killed or wounded. Again, I may say it represents the
regiment's total loss, for almost three fourths of the number of men and
officers actually engaged were killed or wounded. Surely all the good

332 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

people of this broad land will join with us in commemorating the valor of
the brave fellows who nobly stood when it seemed almost certain death to
fight longer. I present this marble memorial to the Eighth Vermont Vet
eran Volunteer Association.

Capt. S. E. Howard, of Boston, who was twice wounded at Cedar
Creek, accepted the monument on the part of the regiment in the fol
lowing words :

ADDRESS OF CAPT. HOWARD.

Comrades and Friends :

We read in sacred history that Jacob fled secretly f ro n Laban the
Syrian to Mount Gilead, carrying away his daughters and property ; and
when Laban pursued, and came up with the fugitives, and it seemed
blood must flow, the Lord rebuked Laban's wrath. And he said to
Jacob, " Come let us make a covenant, I and thou ; and let it be for a
witness between me and thee." And Jacob took a stone and set it up for a
pillar. And Laban called it Mizpah; for he said, "The Lord watch
between me and thee ; and this pillar shall be a witness that I will not pass
over this stone to thee, and thou shalt not pass over this pillar to me, for
harm."

Twenty-one years ago on the iQth of October next, the ground on which
we stand was covered by two armies fighting with a fury seldom equalled,
and never surpassed. Ever since that day have I remembered most vividly
my sensations, as I was wakened in the gray dawn of that October morn
ing by what I thought for an instant was a furious thunder-storm, so contin
uous was the dreadful roll of musketry. Springing out, I shouted, " Fall
in, men!" and during the instant the line was forming, I listened eagerly to
the firing, congratulating myself that whoever had struck Crook's Eighth
Corps had found a hard nut to crack, when the air was suddenly filled with
the oncoming of that short, sharp, quick yell, which we had heard so often
and dreaded so much. And when I held my breath, hoping — nay, know
ing — that in an instant I should hear the long-drawn, confident shout of
our comrades, as they hurled back their defiance, my heart sank as
never before with inexpressible horror; for that shout never came, and I
realized, with the greatest dismay, that the terrible wail of musketry was
from our foes, — that our left was being turned, and that a great disaster
stared us in the face.

A momsnt later our brigade received orders to take position in the edge
of the timber across the pike, and check the enemy's advance, and the
movement was made on the run. In a moment it was apparent that our
left, Crook's Corps, was helplessly broken. Officers were fleeing for their
lives, half-dressed, and with their swords in their hands. Hundreds of men

CONQUER OR PERISH. 333

rushed past just as they had sprung from their blankets. The surprise was
complete. The best soldiers in the world (and no more gallant troops than
the Eighth Corps were ever mustered) could have done nothing but fly. For
our little brigade the moment was supreme. Every man felt that the destiny
of that great army, and perhaps of the whole country, hung fearfully trem
bling in the balance. We well knew that for ourselves we could not " pluck
the flower safety from this nettle danger."

The only question was, could we check the furious tide, could we hold
that line for half an hour, and thus give the Nineteenth and Sixth Corps
time to form a new line ? And the reply which our hearts gave was, "We
will do it, or perish in the attempt! " And for answer whether we redeemed
our pledge, let the words chiselled on this stone reply: "Out of 148 men
and 16 officers of the Eighth Vermont who entered this fight, no men and
1 3 officers were killed and wounded before sunrise." Like a rock stood
that little line. The rushing wave of the enemy seeking to engulf us was
shattered against that living rampart as the waves of old ocean are broken
when they hurl themselves against the eternal cliffs. But as old ocean
gathers herself after each repulse, and bursts again upon the rocky barrier,
so did our gallant foes again and again hurl themselves against us.

No pen can describe the scene, no pencil paint its fury. The deep gloom
of the early morning was lighted up by the incessant flashes of musketry
from either side ; the air was filled with missiles, and heavily laden with the
roar of battle, the shock of artillery, and the shouts of the combatants.
Three separate times were the colors of the Eighth Vermont in the grasp
of the enemy; three color-bearers poured out their life-blood and died
clinging to the flag ; but three times we beat back the enemy, and bore our
precious flag from the field.

But our pledge had been kept, sealed with blood, and at the price of a
great slaughter, but still kept. For half an hour under the dauntless
Thomas had we held in check the whole centre of the enemy's advance ;
and when our little remnant was finally swept from the field, the Nineteenth
and Sixth Corps, in their new position, gained while we fought, were in
comparative readiness for the assault.

Looking from that scene of carnage of twenty-one years ago, when we
who are now gathered here in friendly unity were deadly foes, let me revert
to the sentiment expressed in my opening words — may not this stone be
Mizpah to us of the North and South — once foes, now friends ? Placed
here, not for glorification, but to mark the spot where our comrades fell, to
mark the place of an important public event, and a turning-point in a
nation's history, let it also have a deeper meaning to us of the North, and
you, our brothers in the South. Let it be a pillar of stone which shall for
ever mark an era of genuine fraternal feeling between us. Let it be an
everlasting covenant that we will not pass over this stone to thee, and thou
shalt not pass over this pillar to us, for harm.

334 THE EIGHTH VERMONT.

And to the generous donor of this monument, in behalf of my brothers
of the North I accept it, pledging ourselves that it shall be our constant
aim to promote that feeling of sympathy and kindness between the two
sections which he so much desires, and with him earnestly hoping that the
time is near at hand when there shall be no North, no South, but one coun
try united forever.

He concluded by introducing Gen. Stephen Thomas, who com
manded the brigade in which the Eighth Vermont belonged. Gen
eral Thomas gave a detailed account of the experiences of his brigade
during the battle in the morning and in the afternoon. Capt. Moses
McFarland, who commanded the Eighth Vermont during the day after
Colonel Mead was wounded, then made an address, in which he
spoke of the brilliant services of his regiment and brigade, and com
mended the sterling qualities which belong to the American soldier.

The following is an abstract of his address :

SPEECH OF CAPT. McFARLAND.

Comrades :

In the years not long since gone, noble men left our own loved Green
Mountains, left fathers and mothers, wives and children, left all that life
holds dear, to offer up themselves as sacrifices, if need be, to preserve the
integrity of this nation. Many there were who never returned. Many
there were who looked for the last time upon their dear ones at home.
Many there were whose bones moulder in the soil of the Shenandoah. It
is but fitting that we, as comrades of those brave men, should make pilgrim
ages to this spot, made sacred by the blood of our brothers in arms, and
erect here a monument in memory of the sublime courage that characterized
the sacrifice of that terrible iQth of October, 1864. They died that liberty
should not perish, that generations yet unborn should be blessed with the
boon of free self-government. Nor was it an unwilling sacrifice. It was
made as freely as the lives offered up were dear. Can we do less than strew
this ground with flowers and engage in these simple ceremonies ?

Not alone does this soil cover the dear forms of our fellow comrades.
Here lie buried fond hopes, noble ambitions, and bright anticipations of
happy and prosperous lives cut off in the early morning of that awful day.
Nor do we only weep for the fallen, but far away among the green hills of
Vermont, father and mother, sister, brother, wife, grieve for him who here
gave up his life in defence of his country's flag. Men of noble manhood,
types of the old Green Mountain State, worthy sons of worthy sires, you
went bravely forth at your country's call, leaving all that was dear behind,
but the good old flag which you gallantly followed until your names were

THE CLOSING PRAYER. 335

enrolled in the heavenly roster beyond the river. You have left us for the
rest that awaits us all. You have left us for the land where

" No vision of the morrow's strife
The warrior's dream alarms.
No braying horn or screaming fife
At dawn shall call to arms."

Captain McFarland was followed by Gen. W. W. Grout, member
of congress from Vermont, who compared our country to-day with
what it was prior to the war, bringing out some interesting statistics
going to show that the nation to-day is stronger in every respect than
it was before war desolated the land. His address was closely
listened to. Col. John B. Mead, who commanded the regiment on
the morning of October 19, 1864, and who was early wounded in the
action, then briefly spoke, and closed the exercises by prayer. A
great many veterans of the other regiments were present at the
exercises.

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